Bogues rejoins team, but future is uncertain

• Doctors give go-ahead for guard to play

Wednesday, October 8, 1997

By John Delong

JOURNAL REPORTER

CHARLOTTE

Muggsy Bogues has rejoined the Charlotte Hornets with the blessing -- or at least the go-ahead -- of team doctors.

But it's apparently still too early to project what role Bogues will have with the team this season.

Bogues participated in his first practice of the preseason yesterday morning and was on the plane when the Hornets left for the West Coast, but Coach Dave Cowens said that it's too early to tell where Bogues fits into his plans.

The Hornets signed David Wesley during the off-season to a seven-year, $20-million contract and have been projecting Tony Delk as the backup in the time that Bogues' status was unclear.

''How I'm going to work him in, I really haven't thought about it,'' Cowens said yesterday. ''We were going along with what we had and we just found out this morning he was going to practice.

''He certainly has the ability to run a ballclub as well as anyone in the NBA. He's a great free-throw shooter. He has the ability to bring the ball up the floor. He's really a pesky defender. All the things he's been good at before, hopefully he'll be good at now.

''But we'll have to see how it all works out as far as the rotation. I'm dealing with 16 guys right now, so we're a long way away from making a real solid rotation decision.''

Bogues, the Hornets' all-time assist leader and an integral part of last season's franchise-record 54 victories, did not participate in the first four days of training camp in a dispute over his injured left knee.

The Hornets demanded that Bogues take an MRI because of damage that has shown up in previous MRIs. Bogues had resisted until Monday night, on the contention that other players were not required to take similar exams and that it was not required by the league.

Bogues originally filed a grievance against the Hornets, but that grievance was dropped yesterday.

Bogues was all smiles after practice yesterday, saying that he was just happy to be back with the team.

''This is a step forward for me,'' Bogues said.

''All along, I wanted to get to camp. I just want to play basketball. That's all I ever was saying. If you ever hear anything different than that from my mouth, you let me know.''

Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president, said that results from the MRI taken on Monday night showed no significant damage since the season-ending MRI that Bogues took in May.

Bass said that was what the Hornets' expected because Bogues did not go through the pounding of workouts, practices and games this summer that Bogues goes through during the season -- and since there was no additional damage, he would leave the decision to play up to Bogues.

BASS STRESSED THAT Hornets doctors still feel that Bogues is taking a major risk by choosing to play this season.

''Dr. Perry still thinks that Muggsy is taking a risk, a dangerous risk, to continue to play,'' Bass said. ''But it's Muggsy's call now.

''I talked to Muggsy this morning and I asked him if he's been advised of his medical condition, and he said yes. I asked him if he wanted to continue to play basketball knowing his condition, and he said yes.

''It's his decision. Hopefully, we don't have any changes in this coming season, hopefully the lesion will stop, and he'll be able to play and finish his career.''

Bogues said his interpretation of the latest MRI was that it showed there had been no significant damage since last February, when he found a ''comfort zone'' of sorts and played pain-free the rest of last season.

''I've been pain-free since February,'' he said.

''That's where I am with it.''

He vowed that he would accept whatever role on this team that Cowens chooses to give him -- conceding that Wesley will indeed be the starter and get the bulk of playing time.

''They've made it clear they got who they want as a starter,'' Bogues said. ''I just play ball, I don't make the decision on who plays. I'm going to be professional about it. It's no different from what I've always done. They go the way they want to go and I'll adjust. I've adjusted to many things in life.

''But things are going to be better for Muggsy Bogues, I can tell.''

The Hornets will work out in San Jose, Calif., today and Thursday, then will open their eight-game preseason schedule on Friday night there against the Golden State Warriors.

They'll continue on the trip with a game against Utah in Salt Lake City on Saturday night.