Charlotte Bobcats head coach Steve Clifford announced Wednesday night that guard Gary Neal would sit out about 2-3 games, as he deals with knee and ankle injuries. Per the Charlotte Observer:
Clifford didn’t play Neal in the second half of Saturday’s victory over the Portland Trail Blazers to rest Neal’s sore knee. Since then, Neal has also developed an ankle injury. Walking into the Bobcats’ locker room, Neal was limping noticeably.
“To me, until he can play (effectively), it’s not wise” to use him, Clifford said. “It will hurt us here the next two or three games, but getting him well is the best way to go.”
Neal is the Bobcats’ leading scorer among reserves, at 10.5 points per game. It seemed clear in his last appearance, against the Houston Rockets, that his injuries affected his play: Neal missed all eight of his shot attempts, most of those bouncing off the front rim.
“He’s not able physically to play,” Clifford said. “He can’t push off” his legs effectively.”
