Rockenreno wrote:Penny was awesome a few years ago... then he got injured. He is a guy loaded with talent and struck down in his prime, so now he is very inconsistent and constantly injured, but you can still see flashes of brilliance in his game from time to time...
As for Jonathan Bender, I'm not so sure about him. I've heard so much and seen so little in terms of playing time and production on the court, but I also know you are talking in terms of his athletic ability. I haven't really seen him in action enough to judge expertly, but I wouldn't say he is as athletic as Jordan was or McGrady and Garnett are today. Then again he is a 7 footer (?) who can knowck down a three and still play like a guard

Sports just don't make sense any more :P
It would bore most people if i get into all the scouting reports about jonathan bender, but they are out there if you look for him.
He and Garnett are the only two players who completed the rebound drill in camps with the ball fixed to the top of the backboard...Bender was 4-6" above the top of the backboard...He has a verticle leap amoung the top 5 or 6 in the league, and he is 7ft....
As far as sprinting drills, its almost unfair because of his size, but his times are of a 6ft6 player...
In his tryout camps he was 30for 30 from the arc for the 3pt drill, took two steps back (5ft behind line) and was 28 for 30....
Reports of his first year practices were he continually beat L. Bird in horse, and R. Miller in 3pt contest....
The scouts and analyst put him at the top of that class (he was the 5th pick in the draft, out of highschool, highest at that points since Garnett, and the pacers parted w/ A. Davis a top center that time to get him)...its just one of those things of when he will develop into a top player....Watching a pacer game, you do see shades of brilliance, and some moves that no one in the NBA can do....he has garnetts size and abity, minus the inside post up moves, but with much better 3pt shooting and much better handles and driving skills....Hey he dunked in his rookie year, in the dunk contest, from the free throw line, LEFT HANDED, and Michael jordan was the only one who noticed, but didnt say anything till they interviewed him afterwards, and said that should of won.... : )
I mean time will tell if he will be a Top player, its already determined he is top in athletic skills.
The Nba will some point be a court of 6 9 to 7ftres at every position...remember the allstar game? : ) Shaq, Duncan, Garnett, Dirk on the court at the same time? future