Injury might force Cassell to sit out

HOUSTON — It might be time for Sam Cassell to take a long break.

The veteran point guard has continued to play despite a painful heel injury, which has hindered his performance. Cassell says he isn’t much help to the Clippers now, and that’s a problem for him.

“I’ve got to get this out of my system, so I might have to sit down” for a while, Cassell said Saturday night after a 98-93 victory over the Houston Rockets.

“I need to be on the floor to help this basketball team, but with me playing eight or nine minutes here, 10 minutes there ... it’s just not going to work. I just can’t do my job this way.

“I have a high threshold for pain, and I play through pain, but I can’t be effective if I keep doing what I’m doing. When your team needs you, you want to be there for them, but this thing is no joke.”

On Saturday, Cassell was scoreless in eight minutes and did not return after halftime. He acknowledged it was difficult for him to run and shoot.

In the last seven games, Cassell has played at least 25 minutes only once. He has sat out two games and appeared briefly in four.

With his clutch late-game shooting and vocal leadership, Cassell had a major role in helping the Clippers advance to the 2005-06 Western Conference semifinals. When things got tight in games last season, Coach Mike Dunleavy often relied on the two-man game of Cassell and Elton Brand for key points down the stretch.

That element of the offense hasn’t been as productive because of Cassell’s injury and Brand’s slow start after his busy summer as a member of the U.S. national team. As a result, the Clippers have often appeared stagnant on offense.

“I know this team relies on me to make shots, but I just can’t do it because I don’t have the physical ability to do it,” Cassell said. “This injury affects your balance. You can’t explode, and you can’t stop.

“I’ve really surprised myself with what I can do, but I’m in so much pain afterward when I play. I don’t want to let these guys down, but I can’t keep doing what I’m doing. Something has to change.”

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