At the beginning of the season there was a running joke surrounding the Orlando Magic's roster.
It was all about the village in waiting that they seemed to have at shooting guard behind offseason free agent acquisition and starter Mickael Pietrus. A month into their schedule, however, the chuckling has stopped with three of the Magic's top four guards now relegated to street clothes.
Pietrus is the latest casualty, out three to six weeks with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb.
The injury occurred during Orlando's 96-94 victory at Philadelphia Wednesday that started the Magic's recent two-game holiday road trip.
Sixth-man Keith Bogans fractured his left thumb Nov. 22 against Houston and sat out his fourth straight game Saturday against Indiana. And starting point guard Jameer Nelson missed his third consecutive start with a strained right hip flexor.
"I was playing with some pain because I was trying to be tough," Pietrus said. "But sometimes you have to take care of the injury."
Pietrus, who played 36 minutes and scored nine points against Philadelphia Wednesday night, said Saturday he thought originally that he had only jammed the thumb.
He started Thursday night against Washington with pain but played another 34 minutes in that 105-90 victory, scoring 17.
He learned Friday about the full extent of his injury and that he'd be in a soccer ball-patterned cast up to six weeks, he said.
J.J. Redick started in Pietrus' place Saturday, with rookie Courtney Lee seeing more time as well. Redick finished with four points and four assists in his second start of year. Lee had two points and three rebounds.
Coach Stan Van Gundy said with Pietrus and Bogans out, he would be looking for 48-60 minutes between Lee and Redick.
Magic General Manager Smith was positive about a team that seems snake-bitten after having five players appear in 81 or more games in 2007-08.
"Guys go down, and you play another one in his place," Smith said. "Fortunately, we don't think Keith will be out as long, and Jameer is not too far behind him. It is what it is. But we're not the only team going through injuries right now."
The Magic have a tough upcoming December schedule that includes trips to Boston, Phoenix and Utah, as well as home dates against San Antonio, L.A. Lakers and New Orleans.
Van Gundy said he wants to remain "disciplined" with his shrinking guard rotation.
"I don't want to leave anybody more than 12 straight minutes," he said. "We've got to make sure we have some life in them."
