SAN ANTONIO — Warriors swingman Stephen Jackson is headed for the shelf and may be done for the rest of the season.
After tonight's game in Dallas, Jackson said he'll leave the team and head for Houston, where he will get his left big toe checked out by the Rockets team doctor Friday.
His toe has bothered him all season. He said it hurts when he plants and when he jumps which is why he always takes off his right foot for a layup though he's right-handed. It also hurts when players step on it, as San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan did Tuesday.
"It's been hurting for so long that I've learned how to somewhat block it out," Jackson said. "But if I can put up these numbers, imagine what I can do without this pain."
Jackson's toe has been bothering him since the 2007 playoff season. An MRI in late April 2007 revealed a fracture. But days later, the Warriors changed the diagnosis to turf toe, saying the MRI results was incorrect. Either way, Jackson has been playing with a bad toe for more than two seasons.
He won't join the team in Denver for Saturday's game. His return is uncertain, as he said he plans to stay in Houston until he finds out what is wrong with his toe and what he needs to do to fix it.
"I wanted to wait until the end of the season," Jackson said. "But everybody is noticing it's getting worse. It's time I take a good look at it. We're not going to be in this (lowly) position next season. We're going to need everybody healthy, and I don't want to go into next year not worrying about my toe."
