Kirk Penney cut from training camp roster

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[Update: The Spurs officially announced that the team waived Kirk Penney via press release. It’s done and dusted now.]

As I first reported on Twitter Saturday night, Kirk Penney was cut by the Spurs. The New Zealand Breakers, Penney’s team back home, confirmed with the Spurs earlier today:

Kirk Penney’s latest shot at the NBA is over.

The Breakers have confirmed the Tall Blacks point guard has been cut from training camp at the San Antonio Spurs.

Penney played almost 17 minutes on Thursday night against the Houston Rockets, scoring nine points on 4-9 shooting. He didn’t play at all on Saturday night against the Miami Heat.

  • EZ

    Wow, what a surprise. The guy can flat out shoot. I thought with the circumstances he played he did a good job. Pop even ran a play for him. Then they 3 point shot plus the foul. Looks like we let a good shooter go. I hope Suns don’t pick him up or Lakers and have him beat us in the playoffs.

  • Michael

    yeah, a little surprise!

    But I am guessing that he got cut, because he didn’t do enough on the defensive end. I didn’t watch the game, so I can only read the box score. I think I remember that Penny’s +- was like negative double digits, which usually means that he couldn’t guard the guy from the other team.

  • http://48minutesofhell.com Andrew A. McNeill

    @Michael

    Yup, -11.

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Timothy Varner

    Although, a one game sample is not much. Penney had a contract waiting for him. My guess is that the Spurs said, “we’re only keeping 13 or 14 and you’re a long shot.” That was enough for Penney and his agent to say, “Okay, we like our situation in New Zealand. Thanks for opportunity, but we’re going to move along.” The Spurs may have accelerated their part as a professional courtesy to Penney.

    I’d also assume this means that someone-Anderson, Neal-has been a solid enough shooter in practice that the Spurs feel their bases are covered on that front.

  • kiko

    whattttttttttttttttttttttttttt????????? kirk penney is perfect por spurs system, bad moveeeeeee

  • chanel

    Thats crazy.. Popo ran him for only 17 min in one game! How can you get a good look at him from such a small window of opportunity? I guess I’m biased, being from NZ, but KP gave it his all as he does in every international he’s played.

    Spurs definitely let a good one go. I hope he gets picked up by another team as an 11/12/13 man. Even if he doesn’t get the minutes, he’s always been a clutch shooter. And in terms of his defense.. seriously? With a team such as the Spurs and all the coaching and training staff, not to mention their superstars, he could always be molded into a stronger defensive player - especially when given the chance.

  • http://www.balancebikes4kids.com Rob

    I watched the Silver/Black scrimmage last week. Penney looked completely lost on defense. He lacks athleticism and Neal looked like a much more pure shooter during that game.

    I was excited about Kirk after his showing during FIBA, but wasn’t at all surprised he was cut. He might have been a Steve Kerr like spot up shooter, but would have been a liability on defense for sure.

  • Mark Wylie

    Another NZ Spurs fan here very disappointed that he got cut. I hoped after the world champs a Nba team would pick him up and no team I would rather see him on than the Spurs

  • Bushka

    I’ve said this before after watching Kirk in the NBL, he can’t defend at the NBA level.

    I can see him making the team if we had no other shooters available, but in starkly realistic terms, they just drafted a shooter who is a much better athlete in Anderson, and there are already at least three guards in the rotation above him as it is.

    Penny is a killer if allowed big minutes and ball in hand and I honestly think that on a team that needs scoring (say the raptors, or the bobcats) he’d be a valuable asset.

    Parker, Hill, Gino, Anderson are cutting up 96 minutes between them already, that doesn’t include whoever else makes the team as a swingman. Where do you put Kirk? Who does he guard?

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  • Chris

    As a New Zealand basketball fan, I’m disappointed to see him cut. The Spurs bench seems pretty deep, so he was probably a long shot to make the final roster, especially when Popovich decided he was only going to carry 13 or 14 people on the roster. I guess theoretically another team in need of a shooter might give him a try, but the most likely scenario is that returns home and takes out his frustrations on the Australian NBL. Guess I’m reduced to hoping Sean Marks makes the Wizards roster.

  • RonaldBrown

    Penney cant play worth a lick of defense. Didn’t surprise me he was cut.

  • Marcus Swayne

    THEY SHOULD HAVE CUT THE WHOLE TEAM IF YOU ASK ME LETS’s GO LAKE SHOW.

  • shwana qadri

    im disappointed kirk didn’t stay in the spurs.here in new zealand hes a pure athlete