Here's an article from about 3 days ago, for those of you who can't be bothered signing up to Chicagosports.com.
Suns' Penny is hit hard by deflation
Sam Smith
January 4, 2004, 9:50 PM CST
Penny Hardaway isn't complaining, but he's frustrated and thinks he can do so much more. The expectations really weren't there, but he believed he could show the skeptics. It just hasn't happened, which makes the veteran guard's struggles something of a metaphor for the Phoenix Suns, who play the Bulls on Monday night at the United Center.
"I feel like I'm in a nightmare," said Hardaway, the two-time All-NBA first-teamer who has faded to a support role after undergoing five knee operations.
"This has been my hardest year. I feel like my body is good enough to sustain a lot of minutes, but … "
But the Suns (12-22) don't agree. This season, perhaps, has been their hardest too. Though without a championship, Phoenix is one of the most successful franchises in NBA history. The Suns have had only 12 losing seasons in the franchise's 36-year history—the Bulls are working on their sixth straight—and have one of the highest winning percentages of all franchises at 55 percent.
But this season they already have fired coach Frank Johnson, despite Johnson defying the odds and taking them to the playoffs last season. They have changed much of their roster in financial moves because attendance is dropping, and they have been without last season's rookie star, Amare Stoudemire, for the last month because of an ankle injury.
The result has been a plummet to the bottom of the Western Conference and a look toward the future with a youth movement.
Which is where Hardaway comes in. Or, actually, doesn't.
Hardaway, recovered from three years of crippling injuries, has been a spot player, occasionally starting. But mostly he rides the bench down the stretch.
"I feel like I'm in the best physical shape I've been in since I've been here," Hardaway said. "I worked so hard in the summer, but then comes the youth movement in the league. We have Joe Johnson and Casey Jacobsen, and they want the young guys to play. It's like they said, 'We've moved on with our life.'
"I feel I'd still like to get a shot at being the Penny Hardaway everyone knew five years ago," said Hardaway, who in the mid-1990s was the best young perimeter player in the game and biggest young star with his L'il Penny commercials. "I feel I can go out there and help. I'm 32. I have a window of opportunity. I feel I have three or four years of great basketball left in me."
Despite his frustration, players and team officials say Hardaway has been the ultimate teammate and positive locker-room presence. He has worked with and encouraged the younger players and has been almost an extra coach.
The problem is his contract, not that Hardaway is complaining. He makes $13.5 million this season and has two seasons left. He would be an excellent guard for several teams, but in this luxury-tax era, teams are reluctant to take on his big contract. So Hardaway sits.
"When you make a lot of money, people think you don't care," Hardaway said. "But I love this game. I could have given up a long time ago. But I worked my butt off. People think I'm done, washed up. When you're coming off the bench or not playing in the fourth quarter, they think you can't do anything.
"But that's not the case. I don't want to retire and sit on the bench. I feel like I can go to any team that needs a point guard and average a double-double. That's how good I feel. I have the skills and maturity. I've learned from the game, and I still want to be able to finish my career on a high note."
I've just been watching some old highlight tapes, and Penny was such a bad ass. I didn't like him back then, he had a certain arrogance. I see a lot of similarities between him and Kobe. But, I eventually learned to appreciate his game and the injuries have humbled him somewhat I guess. He was like a freakin pogo stick back in the day. He took the Heat to 5 games in the first round in 97, by himself!
I'm glad he was traded. Though the Knicks have Allan Houston, it's good for Penny to get a fresh start... let's see what happens.
Did anybody see the game this year between NOH and DAL? It was at the start of the season i think... anyway.. Armstrong blocked the absolute 
Best makes a fast break, he has an open lay-up and Armstrong swatted it out of bounds from behind! BEHIND!!!!
