ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Injury-plagued star forward Grant Hill of Orlando Saturday was placed on the injured list for the first time this season.
Hill has seen his NBA career derailed by a lingering left ankle problems. He has missed most of the last two seasons because of surgeries on the ankle, started the 2002-03 campaign in impressive fashion before soreness returned in the ankle.
Hill has missed 12 of the Magic's 41 games this season. He is averaging 14.6 points per game while shooting just under 50 percent from the field.
"The goal all along has been to give Grant the best chance to get healthy," said General Manager John Gabriel. "At this time, we feel the best course of action is extended rest and continued rehabilitation."
In Thursday's loss at Washington, Hill was limited to just 12 minutes. Afterward, Wizards guard Michael Jordan, who scored 32 points, admitted he took advantage of Hill's lack of mobility.
Prior to the game against the Wizards, Hill was optimistic that his ankle was on the mend, but said that he was going to start limiting his minutes.
"Basically, we're going to just keep him on there until we can get him healthy," said Coach Doc Rivers. "If that's a month, if that's a week, if that's three months, that's what we're going to do."
The Orlando Sentinel reported the decision was made as an organization, through conversations between Rivers and Hill, then among Rivers, Gabriel, and Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod.
"I can't fight it," Hill said Friday after the Magic practiced at Georgetown University in Washington. "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."
"It's going to be tough, man," star guard Tracy McGrady told the paper. "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."
When Hill was healthy earlier this season, Hill formed a potent 1-2 punch with McGrady, and the Magic got off to a good start, winning five of their first six games.
However, as Hill began to rest the ankle, the Magic began to struggle. Orlando has lost six of its last eight games, falling under .500 for the first time this season with a 20-21 record.
