Charlotte Hornets executive vice president Bob Bass is reluctant to say Jamal Mashburn?s strained abdominal muscle won?t need surgery.

But with Mashburn returning home Sunday night after a week with a specialized physical therapist in Vancouver, British Columbia, it?s quite obvious Bass is optimistic.

"I think they made progress up there, so we?re hopeful," Bass said Sunday. "That?s really all I can say. It?s just difficult to say he?ll be back in four weeks, six weeks or whatever."

Mashburn and his personal trainer, Ed Downs, spent a week working with a physical therapist who specializes in abdominal muscle training in hopes of healing what has become a puzzling injury.

Mashburn first felt discomfort in the area before last season?s Game 7 Eastern Conference semifinal playoff loss at Milwaukee. He felt a summer of rest had healed the injury, but it flared again in training camp and then nine games into the regular-season.

Mashburn has sought two medical opinions in hopes of avoiding surgery, which would knock him out of action for three months.