Melvin Ely tried to pick up a loose ball in Charlotte Bobcats practice Wednesday, rather than hit the floor and smother it. That could have cost his season, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, as he stumbled and teammate Othella Harrington fell on his left leg. Ely's knee twisted and he had to wait in suspense Thursday while a magnetic resonance imaging test was analyzed.

Good news: Ely, a power forward/center, has a knee strain and the MRI indicated no torn ligaments that would require surgery. Ely will sit out Sunday's intra-squad scrimmage at UNC Wilmington's Trask Coliseum, but hopes to start practicing again Monday in Charlotte.

Not that knee surgery would ever be opportune, but Ely really couldn't afford to miss this season. He's on a one-year contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season. He's already fighting for playing time among a crowd of seven big men on the Bobcats' roster.