Charlotte Bobcats coach Paul Silas has said repeatedly that once he gets all three starters back from injury, he'll field a far more competitive team.
That won't happen before the All-Star break. Shooting guard Gerald Henderson (hamstring strain) won't be back for tonight's home game against the Indiana Pacers. Henderson ran on the sidelines Tuesday, but has yet to fully practice since hurting himself during a road game against Portland Feb. 1.
Henderson said he is confident he will be ready when the Bobcats play on the road Feb. 29 against the Detroit Pistons. By not testing the injury tonight, he'll get an extra five days of rehabilitation, thanks to the All-Star break, before practicing Monday and Tuesday in Charlotte.
"Today was really the first day I got into a full sprint and did a little jumping," Henderson said. "It feels good - (the pain) is almost out of there."
The Bobcats recently got back point guard D.J. Augustin (toe injury) and small forward Corey Maggette (hamstring strain). Henderson's return would get them to full strength for the first time this season.
They have lost 17 of their past 18 games, including a 35-point blowout Sunday at Indiana, so Henderson sounded antsy to return.
"We're losing and you always feel like you can do something to help the team. Then your body just won't let you," Henderson said.
Sunday was the seventh time this season the Bobcats have lost by 30 or more points. Henderson addressed how wearing it is, not just to be beaten all the time, but to frequently be crushed this season.
"The beginning of the game - down 20-2 (in Indiana) ... it's hard to believe you're going to win the game when you get that far down that early," he said. "Setting yourself up like that, you might as well play just one quarter because the game is over.
"The biggest thing for me is preparing for the games two days before, going through scouting reports, eating pregame meals - getting yourself prepared for the game - and then going out there and losing by 40.
"It feels like we're putting all that work in for nothing, so it's really frustrating."
Forward Tyrus Thomas has particularly struggled of late. In his past four games he's totaled 30 minutes and four points, shooting 2-of-10 from the field. Thomas' contract is the largest financial commitment the Bobcats have; he is owed an average of $8.7 million each of the next three seasons.
"What he makes (financially), I don't care about that," Silas said. "I look at what he does on the court, and he's just not playing that well.
"He's just got to concentrate on his game and what he's doing wrong."
Augustin on the 35-point loss against Indiana and the Pacers' eight-game win streak against the Bobcats: "They pretty much killed us in Indiana. Our mindset is we owe them one."
