By HOWARD BECK

Published: October 7, 2004

CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 6 - With their constant pursuit of marquee free agents and a never-shy attitude toward discussing their agenda, the Knicks put a healthy, sustained buzz in the N.B.A.'s off-season.

They talked to Kobe Bryant. They danced with Erick Dampier. And they negotiated furiously for weeks until finally, triumphantly, they captured one of the free-agent prizes of the summer.

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The Knicks' acquisition of Jamal Crawford from Chicago in a sign-and-trade deal was Isiah Thomas's greatest coup since obtaining Stephon Marbury seven months earlier, and it left team officials giddy.

Soon they were boasting of the potential of their new high-scoring guard rotation of Marbury, Crawford and Allan Houston and likening it to the old Detroit threesome of Thomas, Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson.

So where, exactly, would all this leave the Knicks' most versatile veteran guard, the one with a team-high 64 playoff games and 4 All-Star Games to his credit?

"I was wondering, too," Penny Hardaway said with a smile and a chuckle after practice at the College of Charleston on Wednesday.

In truth, he understands the situation all too well. Being an afterthought has, oddly, become routine for Hardaway, a one-time superstar.

Hardaway was a salary-cap balancing adjunct in the Marbury trade, a high-priced throw-in of sorts. In Phoenix, he was once paired with Jason Kidd in what the Suns hyped as the greatest backcourt of the modern era. By the time he was traded to the Knicks, the Suns had buried him on the bench in favor of young prospects.

So here he is again, fighting for respect and for minutes while Knicks officials do back flips over their new favored son - Crawford, a 24-year-old guard who has never played for a winning team in the N.B.A.

"That's how it is," Hardaway said without a trace of bitterness. "Allan and Steph are our captains, and Allan has been here and been the man for so long here. And Steph coming in, they're very excited about having him in. Now they're very excited about having Jamal. I'm kind of used to that situation, like the last five or six years being in Phoenix."

That's the perspective of a 33-year-old veteran coming through, but also the confidence of a player who believes he has finally overcome a 10-year struggle to get healthy. Between 1994 and 2001, Hardaway had five operations on his left knee and never fully recovered.

In Phoenix, he was always rushing back, to support his team and to stem the constant carping about his fortitude. So the knee kept bothering him, and his summer workouts were limited to rest and rehabilitation.

This summer was the first in years in which his knee needed no special attention, and Hardaway was able to work on reconditioning everything else. "This is the best I've felt since six years ago, when I first got to Phoenix," he said.

Which means, perhaps, that the Knicks' best weapon off the bench may be the guy no one is talking about.

"You know, you just have to make them say your name," Hardaway said. "You have to come in and work hard and show them that you're ready, and then see what happens after that."

At 6 feet 7 inches and 215 pounds, Hardaway has the skills and the size to play three positions, so he will most likely find steady minutes one way or another. He averaged 9.6 points in 29 minutes for the Knicks last season.

"I see Penny in a critical position for this team," Coach Lenny Wilkens said.

Hardaway has no illusions about regaining the form that made him a candidate for the "next Michael Jordan" in the early 1990's, but he does say that, with good health, he can recapture some part of his youth.

"Oh yeah," he said. "Oh yeah. All I have to do is just get the ball in my hands, and I'm going to try to make magic happen."

Marbury and Crawford have been criticized at times for their wildness with the ball. Houston, when healthy, is as dependable as they come, but his knees remain a concern. Hardaway's steady demeanor and selfless playmaking could be exactly what the Knicks need as they try to segue from upstarts to division winners.

"I think I'm going to find a way in there, because I just play basketball the right way," he said. "I just try to get everybody involved, try to keep the ball moving, try to keep things running very smoothly out there. I just have confidence that I'll be out there.

"Even if they're not mentioning my name, I know I'll be out there."

I think Penny's getting the exact right amount of attention - none. And I say this without any rancor. Let him be a very pleasant surprise if that can occur. Otherwise, accept the reality - he was a price we had to pay to get Marbury, and when his contract's up we won't have to pay it anymore (or cash it in as an expiring contract before hand).

Dude! Have a little respect for Penny. This dude is a proven veteran that we definitely need around. If this dude can stay healthy, there is no telling how far he can help.

Posted by Marv:

I think Penny's getting the exact right amount of attention - none. And I say this without any rancor. Let him be a very pleasant surprise if that can occur. Otherwise, accept the reality - he was a price we had to pay to get Marbury, and when his contract's up we won't have to pay it anymore (or cash it in as an expiring contract before hand).

the stuff I have heard from Penny since he's been with the Knicks has been exactly what you want to hear from him. He's nothing of his former self, but he can score, he's long, he's a savvy defender and he can still handle and pass it like a true PG.

If Penny wants to stay happy what he needs to realize is he's playing hoops in NY for $15mm a year, and he has a chance to help us off the bench. I see Penny as a great bench player for us, because he's a solid vet and still have good versatility. If Houston comes back we can play 9 guys. Assuming everything is status quo show me another team in the NBA with a better bench than Crawford, Penny, Sweetney and Baker. Maybe Dallas.... I dont know.

Posted by fishmike:

the stuff I have heard from Penny since he's been with the Knicks has been exactly what you want to hear from him. He's nothing of his former self, but he can score, he's long, he's a savvy defender and he can still handle and pass it like a true PG.

If Penny wants to stay happy what he needs to realize is he's playing hoops in NY for $15mm a year, and he has a chance to help us off the bench. I see Penny as a great bench player for us, because he's a solid vet and still have good versatility. If Houston comes back we can play 9 guys. Assuming everything is status quo show me another team in the NBA with a better bench than Crawford, Penny, Sweetney and Baker. Maybe Dallas.... I dont know.

Good post.I especially agree about Penny being a team player since he got here.He is a good influence on the younger players.Never thought Id say that about Penny but he has changed alot personality wise since his days with the Magic.

He should be the backup at the 1 and 3 positions until Ariza is ready. If Ariza can establish himself as a solid 3 backup, then I'm afraid Penny will have to become a little used 1 backup. If anything, this ought to eliminate any type of need for Moochie, which is a good thing.

Penny's going to play an integral role in this team's success this year...every team needs a veteran like him who's willing to do whatever is asked of him & do it in as professional a manner as he's been doing since he got here...his versatility & ability to run the offense make him a great role player to have...he may make alot of money & his numbers are not close to what they used to be obviously, but he brings alot of intangible qualities as well.

Penny's versatility and professionalism will help us sometime this season, I am sure. If everyone's healthy at the 1, 2 & 3 and no one's in foul trouble, best case scenario is Ariza beats out Penny for back-up 3 minutes, IMO. Not suggesting Ariza should be given these minutes, but if he earns them, our team will be better off. Even if that happens, it's highly unlikely we suffer no injuries at the guard and sf positions this season (who knows, Gazy may get hurt in a fight with KMart?), and then Penny'll be getting major minutes. Point is, even if he's only getting 10 mins a game, he has to stay ready for a much heavier load, because at some point, he'll get it. Judging by how he's carried himself since coming over, he'll be ready.

An aside: Penny, IMO, was roughly as valuable a player as Grant Hill when each was in his prime. Interesting that Hill's comeback attempts get so hyped, while Penny strives to recapture what he once had in relative anonymity, even tho he's playing in NY and everyone's desperate for an off-season Knicks story. Orlando will be lucky if Hill gets to Penny's level of the last couple years.

funny thing is penny makes double of what andersen makes for right around the same production.

anyway, I believe penny can be a guy who should fill in at 1-2-3 and I emphasize 1 because i want moochie norris no where near the active roster.

Posted by BRIGGS:

funny thing is penny makes double of what andersen makes for right around the same production.

anyway, I believe penny can be a guy who should fill in at 1-2-3 and I emphasize 1 because i want moochie norris no where near the active roster.

No way... Penny is so much better than Shandon. All Shandon can do with the ball is dunk it, dribble it off his foot or clang it against the glass. Penny's tank is damn near empty but he still has skills and guile. He can also get his own shot. Shandon isnt even close to him.

Moochie doesnt offend me like he does you, but right now there just arent any minutes for him.

Briggs... still like lightpath?

As we continue to get younger and younger, I believe resigning Penny for a little bit is an excellent idea. The man is as smart as they come. He's just like McDyess - given time to rehabilitate, they could have been back to their old forms a year after they were first injured. They were stuck in bad situations and now Penny's gonna make the best out of it. He can handle the ball, shoot fairly well (now he should be able to get some more lift out of those legs), play smart defense, and be a real example to guys. He's the superstar who should have retired with his superstar image intact, but who instead played it out and hopefully will be the spark off the bench we need. Like some articles have said - we are a deep team but our starters still have not proven they are much better than our bench players IN GENERAL. We need to adapt that as a strength. Hopefully Penny can find some minutes wherever he can. He is a life's worth of lessons in person and should be a good mentor for several young Knicks, including Mr. Ariza.