The Orlando Magic's experiment with 2001 first-round draft pick Jeryl Sasser as a point guard appears to be over.

Sasser, whom the Magic selected with the 22nd pick, was a mild disappointment and got on the floor for just seven games last season. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound defensive specialist played well on the Magic's free-agent team in the summer. But head coach Doc Rivers made the position switch after watching Sasser play during pre-camp workouts.

"We're not going to use him at the point any more and use him more as a shooting guard or small forward," Rivers said. "We tried the point guard thing with him, but that's just not an area where I'm comfortable with him. I think maybe we put too much pressure on him last year to play point guard."

Sasser, a shooting guard in college, is still Southern Methodist University's all-time leading scorer. But he's struggled with his shot at the NBA level. The Magic even sent him to a shooting camp this summer in an effort to correct his unorthodox release.

Rivers said the offseason loss of Monty Williams -- he signed a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia 76ers -- also played a role in Sasser being shifted to the small forward positions. Sasser isn't likely to get waived -- he still has two more guaranteed years on his contract -- but he is in a battle with and Corey Benjamin and Jermaine Walker for one of the final slots on the active roster.

Quick recovery: The news seems to be a little brighter on Orlando's other first-round pick from 2001. Steven Hunter, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Aug. 24, is already off crutches and doing some light jogging. Doctors initially said Hunter would be out for five or six months, but the second-year power forward is predicting he'll return sooner.
"They want to look at it again in six weeks, but I'm thinking the latest I'll be out is December," Hunter said. "I've made up my mind I want to be back on the floor before 2002 ends."

Hunter had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee following last season. He then sprained a ligament in his right knee during a summer-league game. Then, during a camp for center and power forwards in late August, Hunter's knee gave way on a simple post move.

"At first I was really, really down, but I've still got a lot to be happy about," said Hunter, the 15th pick of the 2001 draft. "Yes, the ACL is a bad injury. But I plan to use this time to get stronger and faster."

Injury scare: The Magic received a scare Wednesday when starting point guard Jacque Vaughn got tangled up with a defender and limped off the floor in pain holding his lower left leg.
But as it turns out Vaughn's injury was determined to be just a bruise after he was kicked in the calf muscle. Vaughn, the Magic's starting point guard, was held out of the evening session for precautionary reasons.

Loose balls: Grant Hill worked out twice Wednesday and reported no lingering soreness in his thrice-repaired left ankle. "Grant has it back and looks really good," Rivers said. . . . Tracy McGrady is crediting Dr. Robert Guttman of Orlando with helping relieve much of the back pain that slowed him in the playoffs last spring. Guttman has McGrady stretching out his back on a daily basis with VaxD, a treatment plan that involves several large rubber bands. . . . Former Magic guard Dee Brown, now head coach of the WNBA's Orlando Miracle, is working as a consultant with the team during training camp. It was in Jacksonville two years ago that Brown tore his quadriceps muscle on the final night of training camp. He came out of retirement briefly last season for a 10-day contract, but ended his playing career and started coaching the Miracle. . . . The Magic will hold an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday night that's open to the public. The game begins at 6 p.m. at Jacksonville's University of North Florida. Admission is free.