ORLANDO, Fla. -- Grant Hill's sore left ankle will sideline
him for at least two weeks. Being unable to help his team makes him
feel even worse.
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"This probably hurts my pride, my ego, the most, the fact that
I can't be out there and playing right now," said Hill, who had
ankle surgery in May. "The ankle's hurting, but I've felt at times
that it's getting better."
Hill was placed on injured reserve Monday, meaning he will miss
a minimum of five games. And it could be more. It could be "two weeks or two months," a Magic spokesman said Monday.
Before the Magic played on Friday and Saturday, coach Doc Rivers
wanted to see how Hill's ankle would hold up before deciding
whether to sit him down.
The star forward played 36 minutes in Orlando's loss to
Philadelphia Friday. He didn't suit up Saturday for the victory at
Atlanta.
Hill and Orlando's coaching and medical staff then decided it
was best to rest him.
"Grant Hill is going to be a healthy basketball player for us,
and when he becomes healthy, he's going to be a great basketball
player," Rivers said. "He's going to be the Grant Hill we know."
So far, the limping Hill has not been the player the Magic (2-2)
thought they were getting when he signed a seven-year, $94 million
contract in August.
In his two starts, he has averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and
6.5 assists in more than 34 minutes a game.
Hill admitted his shooting is off. His scoring is more than
eight points below his career average. Against the 76ers, he was
1-for-7 from the field in the fourth quarter.
"It felt good in the last game early on, but as the game wore
on, it got tighter, sorer," Hill said. "I just wasn't myself."
Hill's absence is expected to create more playing time for
rookie Mike Miller, who is averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds
per game.
Miller, a 6-foot-8 guard drafted from Florida, was to start
against Seattle on Monday, with Tracy McGrady moving to Hill's small
forward position.
"This makes us a very young basketball team, especially when
you think of Tracy McGrady being 21 and Mike Miller being 20,"
Rivers said. "Those may be our two best offensive options, and
that's a scary thought."
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