Hill leaves game at half with soreness in left ankle

http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0116/1494032.html

WASHINGTON -- Grant Hill's ankle could only bear 12 minutes of basketball Thursday night, and Orlando Magic coach Doc Rivers said it might be time to give the six-time All-Star another extended rest.


"I think it's a decision we really have to give some thought to,'' Rivers said after the Magic lost 108-93 to the Washington Wizards.


Hill played only in the first half, the first time he's played in consecutive games since Dec. 25 and 27.


"One of the things I told Grant at halftime,'' Rivers said. "You don't worry about anything but get healthy. You're not letting your team down. You're not letting yourself down. Your job is to get healthy, and you're doing a great job doing that. If you don't play until we make the playoffs -- if we make the playoffs -- you don't play again. That's fine with us.''


Before the game, Hill was very optimistic that his ankle was finally on the mend.


"For the next four-to-six weeks, I'll keep my minutes down to about 24 a game,'' Hill said. "Of course, ego-wise I hate that, but big picture-wise I understand that's probably the right thing to do.''


Hill, who scored just two points, did not speak to reporters after the game.


"He tried to go,'' Rivers said. "We could see early on, he was struggling moving, so we shut him down.''


Hill has missed 12 of Orlando's 41 games this season. This was his second game with his new size-15 shoe, fitted with an extra strip of rubber on the outside to help ease the tendinitis in his left ankle. Hill has had three operations on the ankle since breaking it three years ago.


"The last game I played on Monday was the first time I've felt pain-free, really, since the start of the season,'' Hill said before the game. "Sore-free, that's a better word. So that was good news. With the new adjustment to my shoe, hopefully it can get me through the season. ... But right now I feel good.''


Wizards guard Michael Jordan said he reluctantly took advantage of Hill's lack of mobility in the first half.


"I feel so bad for the kid, where he's in the peak of his career, and he's dealing with the injuries he has to deal with,'' Jordan said. "The unfortunate part is when you're on the court, you can't focus on it, you have to attack it.''


Wizards coach Doug Collins coached Hill for three years in Detroit in the 1990s.


"I feel terrible for Grant Hill,'' Collins said. "I love him. He's a gentlemen. The NBA needs him to be on the floor. I know that it's tearing at his very fiber what he's going through right now.''


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I feel sorry for this guy. He has talent and class, it's hard to find especially there are so many idiots in the league. Get well please, grant.

 

my bad.

Im sorry, moderator. I have never known that there are other sections in this bbs. Please remove/delete this topic if it's not appropiate to post here.

 

Hill going on injured list

By Jerry Brewer | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 18, 2003


WASHINGTON -- The revelation came at halftime Thursday night. Grant Hill's eyes welled with tears as he talked with Orlando Magic Coach Doc Rivers and tried to explain to his teammates why, once again, he could not be there for them.

Right then, everyone in the locker room knew -- Hill, the coaches, the players, the medical staff, everyone. They cannot do it this way anymore.

It is time for Hill to sit.

Hill, who has been in and out of the lineup for two months because of recurring soreness in his troublesome left ankle, will be out indefinitely, at least a month and perhaps for the rest of the season.

For the third time in his Magic career, Hill will be placed on the injured list. His career and the team's grand dream of a championship officially are in jeopardy.

¡§We're going to put him on the list, and basically we're going to just keep him on there until we can get him healthy,¡¨ Rivers said. ¡§If that's a month, if that's a week, if that's three months, that's what we're going to do.¡¨

The decision was made as an organization, through conversations between Rivers and Hill, then among Rivers, General Manager John Gabriel and Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod.

As much as Hill wants to play, he knows he is not helping the team. Hill has missed 12 of 41 games this season and has left early in six other games, including Thursday night against the Washington Wizards. Hill played 12 minutes in that game and finished with two points and two rebounds.

¡§I can't fight it,¡¨ Hill said Friday after the Magic practiced at Georgetown University. ¡§I tried to fight it, but it's probably the smart thing to do. I may want to play, I love to play, but that's gotten me into the trouble I've been in. So you got to do what you got to do. It's just part of it.¡¨

Despite three surgeries, Hill still is having problems with the ankle. He played in only 18 of 164 regular-season games the past two seasons.

This season, doctors declared that the stress fracture in his ankle finally had healed, but the trauma of those surgeries and the rigorous NBA schedule have caused more pain. Doctors believe it is being deferred from the fracture site, though the bone still is together. Hill also is experiencing inflammation of the posterior tibial tendon.

There are so many questions. Will the rest solve Hill's problem? If not, will he have to retire? What happens to the Magic, financially, if Hill leaves? And can the Magic make the playoffs without Hill from this point?

¡§It will be tough, but it's doable,¡¨ Rivers said.

It starts with guard Tracy McGrady. Rivers already is worried how much a playoff run without Hill will wear down McGrady, as well as Mike Miller.

¡§It's going to be tough, man,¡¨ McGrady said. ¡§It's just frustrating, just seeing how good we can be with Grant healthy, with myself healthy. With him not being out there, it's just frustrating. I just got to keep on going, man.¡¨

Assuming the Magic don't sign another player, Hill won't go on the injured list until after Tuesday night's gamein Cleveland. Forward Ryan Humphrey currently is on the list and must stay there for five games.

When the ankle hasn't bothered him, Hill has been a lot like his old self this season. He's averaging 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 29.1 minutes.

But he only has played 57 minutes in four games since he grabbed 15 rebounds against the Detroit Pistons on Christmas.

¡§The best thing for the team is to try to get healthy,¡¨ Hill said. ¡§Being inconsistent -- here, there, whatever -- is not a good thing. I'm trying to get this thing right, so, consistently, they know what they can get. They haven't had that from me thus far, and that can be tough.¡¨

The primary focus of management is getting Hill healthy, but Gabriel is formulating contingency plans.

¡§We plan on fighting through,¡¨ Gabriel said. ¡§Our goal since the beginning of the season has been, physically, to bring him through a season. It's hard on our fans, the team, but it's hardest on Grant. We have not lost sight of our goals.¡¨



Sad news.