Basketball Australia have confirmed Mills has secured the final roster spot at the Blazers.

Link: http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=302&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1731&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1&cHash=fc3b07d501

Whilst this means Mills get a crack at playing in the NBA get this season, I'm still not convinced whether this is a good thing or not. The Blazers coaching staff have already told rookie Armon Johnson he will get around 10 minutes per game. Patty could well spend considerable time in the NBA D-League yet again...

Head to Europe Patty, play some minutes, earn good money and get good experience building up to London 2012 for the Boomers I say.

Why? Because his game wont develop sitting on the bench or playing in the D league. He needs to run a team, something he has never done at a professional level, and something he struggled badly with at the WCs.

GO PATTY YOU BELONG IN THE BIG SMOKE...
HE WILL SHOW EM!

Age, for one thing.

Theres a few players in the NBA who I can look at and say "if he is in the NBA how come Penney isn't".

Andy Rautins is one that springs to mind. 6"4 SG, similar to Penney minus the experience and IMO Rautins isn't as good as shooter as KP.

I really don't know what more he could have done in his only pre-season game--9 points in 17 mins, 4/9 shooting. Did Popp expect him to go for 40 in 17 mins? The Spurs front office knew he may have struggled to play D, so he came in and did what they wanted, score.

I think I know why Penney got cut, but im not going to say it on here.

No, I haven't said it anon, but I will now. It's because he is white isn't it?
If he was black, he would make it. Thats just fact.

MACDUB, Matt Bonner still has a job!

Adam Morrisson anyone?

Isaac, Matt Bonner is 6"10 and Morrison is 6"8.

I guess what im saying is that when you have a 6"5 white guy and a 6"5 black guy of similar ability, there seems to be a natural inclination for GM's to go with the black player. The "athleticism" component comes into play. BTW, I am a coloured person so this is not from a white person's perspective.

MACDUB, then surely they're picking someone for their athleticism rather than because they're black?

I'd guess that SGs and SFs are everywhere in the US while decent PGs are a little rarer. On top of that, Mills definitely has age on his side.

I think Penney is an incredible player and thought he'd make the Spurs roster for sure, but he's at his ceiling I'd say.

Yeah, I suppose; good point regarding the multitude of SG's around the league.
Mills definently has what it takes and I hope he plays himself into the rotation. Apologies for blabbing on about Penney in a Mills thread hehe.

Andrew Gaze interviewed Patty Mills on Melbourne's SEN radio this morning at just before 7:40am Melbourne time.

Whilst I just missed the start, Mill's indicated he was happy to be at Portland and the chance to continue pursuing his NBA dream. However Gaze questioned what his role would be given his set of circumstances and Patty said he last spoke with the "coach" before Summerleague about his potential role with the team and nothing had changed since. And whilst Gaze did not push it, IMO it came across as we could expect Patty to be in the same position as last season - in and out of the D-League and playing in junk time, even though I hope that is not the case. Pattyy fuelled this even further when he said he "would not be unpacking his boxes just yet."

I'm not sure, but for those interested you may be able to catch the interview on their website.

He was on the scoresheet (in the 12 player roster) for the first games against the Suns but DNP-Coaches Decision

In an interview with Penney on nzherald.co.nz Penney said that the Spurs were after a forward from the get go and already had 3guys on guaranteed contracts in the SG position and that he had hoped that he would get to play more preseason games to generate interest from other clubs but alas he got cut.