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i know he suffered through injury but for a 6-8 year period he was one of the top three pgs in the league, i think what he did in his time healthy was hof worthy but what do you think?

No.

No, not even close.

Nope...

No. Penny had a bright start to his career but injuries robbed him of what would have been a HoF career.

He only had four good seasons in Orlando and one in Phoenix; everything after that was him barely being around and being mostly a 12/4/4 player, nothing all that special except for occasional reminders of what could have been.

He was a four-time All-Star, All-Rookie 1st, made two All-NBA 1st teams and a 3rd Team but that's not enough for a HoF career; he has no major individual accolades, no ring (though he did make the Finals with Shaq and played stand-out ball), no significant statistical achievements... There's nothing about his career that screams "HoF!!!" except what might have been.

He belongs to the "what if he didn't" HOF, which includes players like

Grant Hill
Derrick Coleman
Larry Johnson
Kenny Anderson
Jim Jackson
Jamal Mashburn
Shawn Kemp
Allan Houston

All guys with the potential but for various reasons won't get in.

I think Coleman and Penny are the most disappointing of the two; Penny because of injuries and Coleman because he just didn't want it badly enough. He was so ridiculously talented...

Kemp would be a close third because he was freaking nasty.

No way

CircleCitysportsfan wrote:He belongs to the "what if he didn't" HOF, which includes players like

Grant Hill
Derrick Coleman
Larry Johnson
Kenny Anderson
Jim Jackson
Jamal Mashburn
Shawn Kemp
Allan Houston

All guys with the potential but for various reasons won't get in.

Hill will get in for sure, first ballot probably. Kemp if it wasn't for his off court issues and that he got fat after he got a big contract would have had an outside shot. Putting on the pounds in the voters eyes is much worse then just losing your game even if the on court production is the same.

Hill may get a Dumars, thanks for not being a dick, HOF nod.

DelaneyRudd wrote:Hill may get a Dumars, thanks for not being a dick, HOF nod.

Dumars is more than worthy of the Hall of Fame even if he were a dick.

No. Amazing what injuries can do to your career. :'(
Growing up, Penny was my favorite my player. It's a shame that his career ended in shambles.

When I was growing up, Penny was THEE basketball player along with Jordan. Penny was like what Dwayne Wade is right now...a mega-star with great basketball skills, doing awesome classic commercials, and has the potential to be the next great thing in basketball. I hope wade recovers fully and fulfills spot in basketball.

Wade doesn't have sh*t on Penny. Anything these current guys, LeBron, Wade, T-MAC do is because they were largely influenced by Penny.

I love Penny to death and he will always be remembered for his legendary 40-point performances in '97 where only Darrell 'Flash' Armstrong and Gerald Wilkins were contributing in that series, but he has no chance to get in the HOF and it's a damn shame what injuries and horrific O-Town media did to him.

Man Penny was great. 50% FG, 6-7 PG, 7 asts and he was lowering his turnovers every year. But no he won't get into the HOF, injuries took away too much.

Also lilpenny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MGX0h7eNhU

shawngoat23 wrote:

DelaneyRudd wrote:Hill may get a Dumars, thanks for not being a dick, HOF nod.

Dumars is more than worthy of the Hall of Fame even if he were a dick.

I disagree, but I won't argue the fact that it is arguable.

Penny Hardaway was the man for a while, but no, injuries prevented what could have been a HOF career. The "iffa coulda woulda shoulda" game cannot be played in order to determine whether a player deserves to make the HOF.

I will say, however, that Grant Hill has a decent shot, because he had a terrific collegiate career encompassed by two titles, and a decent basketball career, even with injuries taken into consideration. Remember, this is the BASKETBALL hall of fame.

IMO he's always been very overrated. Yes he was very good, but he was never a superstar, and he was only very good for 5 years. I would have to say Hill was far better in his prime, and he has continued to be good even through injuries, even if he's just a shadow of his former self which including being a top 5 to top 10 player in the league. If it's debatable to some extent if Hill will go in, which I think there is a chance, then there is no chance in hell that Penny makes it. If he would have won the title against Houston (which they got swept), then just maybe he would be in the mix, but even then I'd say it would be unfair to players who have long successful careers.

I agree with Ming Kong. I was always a huge shaq fan so I used to watch Orlando a lot, and I always felt Penny was overrated as well. Damn good player, just not a HOF and may not have been even if he didn't get hurt. Even a healthy Penny wouldn't have been a lock if he didn't win a ring or 2.

Penny may had only 5 good years, but he achived more in those years than some players (who are considered much better then him) in their whole carrier. Penny wasn't a superstar? Seriously? If you are a first teamer in two consecutive seasons in the era of Stockton, Jordan, Johnson, Payton, Tim Hardaway, then you ARE a superstar. Jordan said that he feared his potential, and Penny is the only player he's confident to pass the tourch to. He wasn't overrated. That beig said, he's not a HOF player, but I don't really see why guys like Webber, Hill are considered better, when Penny had a similar pro carrier to Webber's and he was much succesful than Hill, who never even got out of the first round, while Penny did it even without Shaq (and Kidd).