Isaac
Years ago

Penney nabs second POTW award

Kirk Penney has picked up his second Player of the Week honour of the 2008/09 National Basketball League (NBL) season after the New Zealand Breakers star was named as the Round Eight award winner.

Penney, who also took out the NBL's weekly honours in Round One and is an early favourite for League Most Valuable Player honours, led his team to a 1-1 record for the week. The former NBA player averaged 24.5 points per game, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in his two games - an upset 86-84 road victory against reigning champions, the Melbourne Tigers, and a tough 96-86 loss at home to Adelaide.
Runner-up was new Blaze import Justin Bowen who had 26/8/3 on debut against top side South.

A couple of 36ers feature in the honourable mentions:
Others in consideration for Player of the Week included Adam Ballinger (Adelaide), Mark Tyndale (Adelaide), Rosell Ellis (Townsville), Chris Anstey (Melbourne), Shane Heal (Gold Coast), Shawn Redhage (Perth), Mark Worthington (South), Ian Crosswhite (Cairns), Aaron Grabau (Cairns), and Julian Khazzouh (Sydney).


Any thoughts on perhaps the top five candidates for MVP at this stage?

I'm thinking Anstey, Penney, Worthington, Bruton and then maybe Ballinger or Redhage.

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Big Marty  
Years ago

Penney deserved another POTW award and is probably favourite so far to win MVP.

He's consistent and a go-to man. Shame that Kirk is one of those select few "true Shooting guards" this league has left. Once the likes of Rillie, Penney, Maher and Heal go, you don't really have anyone that fills that spot perfectly.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

What the article doesn't mention is Penny's shooting percentage.

Game 1: 7/22 (31.8%)
Game 2: 8/17 (47.1%)

Average: 15/39 (38.5%)

Sure he's the leading scorer but his shooting percentage is poor. I'd much rather have someone score 5 ppg less than Penny but shoot at 50% or better.

Penny reminds me of Brian Wethers from a few years back when he beat Willy Farley to be the leading NBL scorer. Stats didn't show Wethers took way more shots and at a poor percentage either.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I think if any of the following Sixers out of Maher, Ballinger and Schenscher, took as many shots as Penny, they'd be close to the leading scorer in the NBL.

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Isaac  
Years ago

Stats didn't show Wethers took way more shots and at a poor percentage either.
In 04/05 (and going by NBLStats), when Wethers was at Hunter and won MVP, he shot 44% from the field. Farley shot at 41%.

The issue at the time AFAIK was that he won MVP despite playing for a 15-17 team.

BTW, Penney's shooting at 47% this year according to NBLStats. Maher at 37%.

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twenty four  
Years ago

Anon, Penney's shooting it at 49% so far this season, and 37% from 3-point range. That's pretty good for a shooting guard who's averaging 27 PPG, in any league.

In fact, of the top 10 scorers in the league (ranging from Penney at 26.7PPG, to Schenscher at 18.3 PPG), only 3 are scoring at over 50% - Ballinger (20 @ 54%) and Schenscher (55%) and Williams (22.1 @ 54). Balls and Schensch shouldn't be a suprise, being bigs who get lots of touches on the block. And Williams can't shoot but can beat anyone of the dribble.

And as far as 3P% goes with those ten, only CJ Bruton (48%) and Harvey (38%) are beating him, and they both are scoring <19 PPG.

So basically, what you are suggesting just doesn't add up at all.

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