The Sonics Give Fredo a Workout

I'm smart! Not like everybody says... like dumb... I'm smart and I want respect!

The Seattle Sonics worked out ~~the rotting corpse of~~ Penny Hardaway on Monday afternoon. According to The News Tribune, he "was in much better shape than he expected." It's possible that the Sonics would sign him and cut Desmond Farmer.

I guess this is what happens when you go winless on a five game roadie; you try out NBA stars of the past. Besides a brief stint with the Knicks (where he averaged a serviceable 16.5 points in the 2003-04 playoffs), the last thing I remember about Hardaway was Shaquille O'Neal referring to him as the Fredo when comparing Penny, Kobe and D-Wade.

The difference between those three is The Godfather trilogy. One is Fredo, who was never ready to have it handed over to him. One is Sonny, who will do whatever it takes to be the man, and one is Michael, who, if you watch the trilogy, the Godfather hands it over to Michael. So I have no problem handing it over to Dwyane. I would love to see the ball in my hands, but I'm not the best player or shooter on this team. I don't mind handing it over to Michael Dwyane Corleone.

I always loved that quote, except that it now looks like Sonny (Kobe) might re-take the family in the next few years.

So are the Sonics so desperate that they have call in Fredo for help? (BTW - if D-Wade is Michael Corleone then who's Al Neri, the guy who killed Fredo on the boat in Godfather II? Just asking...)

How soon before other members of the 1995 All-Star team start rolling out to Key Arena? Is the Reignman ~~snorting coke~~ lurking around the corner? Is Spreewell's kids hungry enough for him to give basketball another try? Hasn't he run his yacht aground yet?

Anyway, I expect Seattle's luck will change for the better, Ray Allen is supposed to play on Saturday against Toronto.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

12-20-2006 @ 6:33PM

Kart said...

Don't be ridiculous. If you haven't watched Penny play lately, you should save your judgement for now. O'neal is just a fat ass that is getting old and would like people to remember how great he was. If he did think Penny was Fredo, then he is not much different now (remember how terribly he got beaten up by Yao early in the season? And how bitter he was after the game by saying "With the height, that's the number he should get." instead of admitting he was beaten up so bad? If one can not admit his own failure, he is not a MAN at all. And with the same quote, I can also say "with the extra FAT, O'neal should get some big numbers." (You see how it doesn't make sense at all now?) And as the Godfather quote he made, don't forget Penny is the only one that can lead the team into a winning record without O'neal!! See 95-96 season when O'neal was out for entire November, Penny led Magic to 2nd best record in November (only less wins than Jordan's Bulls). That's when the media started to say Magic was Penny's team and O'neal "the crying child" started to feel bitter to Penny. Both Kobe and D-wade can't win without O'neal. Penny became injury-prone early in his fabulous career, but talent-wise, I truely think a healthy Penny is the most valuable player out of the three, and it's kinda been proven if you compare their contribution to the team at the time. So don't be ridiculous here, Penny might not be as great as before, but with his basketball IQ, he can compensate for his lack of atheltism and still be helpful on any team that aquire him.

12-20-2006 @ 8:09PM

Craig said...

Kart, were you wearing the 97 Nike Foamposites when typing this?

You made some interesting points until you said that "Penny is the most valuable player out of the three" Have you watched what Kobe's done the last year and a half? Kobe is simply in a league by himself.

I agree that Penny has a very high basketball IQ. In fact, I was hoping that the Lakers would sign him last season just to see if he could do well in the Triangle offense, playing a Scottie Pippen role. It's just that his knees are gone, he really can't offer much physically.

12-23-2006 @ 3:01PM

Steve said...

^AMEN TO WAT HE SAID, ALSO LETS NOTE THAT PENNY IS ALSO SAYING HE CAN DUNK AGAIN(on his website) AND HES FEELING HIS BEST IN 5 YEARS...So0o0 i think with his experience and all around decent playing, why wouldnt the Sonics pick him up, they still have a shot but as of late, they need a veteran who could play SG,F, and possibly PG if things roll that way..

12-24-2006 @ 8:57PM

Bill said...

Pennys the man,, watch he will be the story of the year taking any team who signs him deep into the playoffs and dunking on some chumps like back in the day... You heard it here first folks.The microfacture surgery finally kicked in and did what it is supposed to, grow back some knee cartlidge...bring back lil penny also---over anf out....

1-02-2007 @ 11:59AM

Mike said...

Penny is the man and he could help any team in the NBA right now and make them better especially the sonics who are in trouble right now. Penny is one of the smartest basketball players to eveer play the game, he's a great passer and could help ray allen get open looks not to mention a great defender as well I think the sonics would be stupid not to take penny.