ORLANDO -- Orlando Magic reserve power forward Brian Cook fractured a bone in his shooting hand Monday in practice and will likely miss the final eight games of the regular season.
``He’ll be out probably a week to 10 days, maybe two weeks and we’ll evaluate him then,’’ Magic general manager Otis Smith said. ``We’ll cast it and then look at it again. It’s just fractured and it’s not something where they’ll have to go in and have it fixed (surgically). ``You have to worry about him missing the regular season, but he should be ready for the playoffs. We’ll look at it again in seven days and see how the healing process is going.’’
Cook’s injury could amp up the focus on veteran power forward Tony Battie, who is attempting to come back two months early from surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder. Battie has been working out with Magic staff for weeks and could return to practice this week. Smith says he wants to see Battie play in a regular-season game and how he fits before deciding whether or not the veteran power forward will factor in in the playoffs.
``We’ll let it play out and make a decision this week,’’ Smith said. ``He has to play. He’s been working out hard and he looks good, but he’s still not 100 percent. I want to see him play in a regular season game and I haven’t see that yet. He’s moving but he’s not 100 percent. I want to see him in a game and see him in our rotation with our guys. I don’t think you can say, `Here are the playoffs and (Battie) is ready to go.’ That doesn’t do anything for him or the team. ``Within the week, we’ll have to say either we’re practicing or we’re not. We’ll either tone it back of start it up. He hasn’t done anything live yet.’’
