Bobcats can’t shake injury bug

Charlotte announced on Wednesday that center Othella Harrington will undergo surgery on his left knee and is expected to be out at least 3-to-6 weeks. That came on the same day the club said forward Sean May will remain sidelined indefinitely with a bone bruise in his right knee.

May’s injury is most frustrating, as the second-year forward has led the team in scoring four times this year. However, he missed a total of 59 games last year because of right knee problems.

The Bobcats were plagued with injuries last year, losing a total of 257 man games to injury. Among those who missed significant time in addition to May included Emeka Okafor (56 games), Gerald Wallace (26), Jake Voskuhl (29) and Melvin Ely (21).

"It definitely hurts (to miss this time)," Harrington said of his injury. "You always want to play and be a part of the team, but unfortunately you just can’t control injuries."

Okafor, who was sidelined last year with a sprained right ankle, has stayed heathy this year so far and is averaging a double-double at 15 points and 11.4 rebounds per game as he continues to mature as a player.

But if the Bobcats continue to loss significant time to injury, it will be difficult for them to mesh together as a team, especially for the young players.

May, Okafor and Wallace are all under 25 and should be the backbone of the Bobcats for some time to come. They just have to stay on the court together.