The Charlotte Hornets? good news, bad news season continued Monday following a 3-0 road trip that has the team at .500 for the first time in 1? months.

The good news?

Forward Jamal Mashburn participated in scrimmages with his teammates for the first time since mid-November and has officially made the Feb. 18 home game against Milwaukee his targeted return to action.

The bad news?

Guard David Wesley?s injury is worse than the team feared and he?ll be out at least three weeks ? and possibly more ? with a cracked bone in his left foot.

"Guys will just have to step up," said Hornets coach Paul Silas, whose team was without Wesley for the past two games. "We?ll be a lot bigger with Lee (Nailon) starting in David?s place.

"But somebody?s going to have to come up with those 16 points collectively. David will be missed. But we?ve had it happen before."

Wesley?s injury is officially an osteochondral defect and he?s been placed in a protective boot for three to four weeks.

Harold Kaufman, Hornets? vice president of public relations, added "surgery is not an option at this time."

However, at the very least, it would seem Wesley would be out of action for a month considering he?d need at least a week to return to playing shape after getting out of the protective boot.

And the worst-case scenario of surgery would likely end Wesley?s season.

Silas understands that losing Wesley ? and his 15.9 points and 4 assists per game ? will be hard to replace.

But considering the 37 games both Mashburn and forward George Lynch have already missed, losing another player is nothing new.

"Well, that?s the way our season has gone so far," Silas said. "But we?ll find a way to get it done. That?s what our season has been about."

Mashburn said he felt good doing the light drills he participated in on Monday.

"I felt fine, although it?s hard to judge," Mashburn said. "That wasn?t really that hard but they?re coming back from a three-game road trip, so they weren?t doing that much today."

Just being able to participate rather than observe has been good for Mashburn.

"It?s been frustrating to sit and watch," Mashburn said. "It?s been different watching people play. It?s a learning process to deal with the injury. But I?m healing and I?m ready to get back into it."

Silas said he was pleasantly surprised with how well Mashburn looked in practice.

"From what I saw, he looks like the same old Mash to me," Silas said. "The shot looks good, the pump fakes, the movement on the court. He looked good."