Al Harrington injury: Veteran forward nearing season début

Al Harrington continues to recover from a staph infection that required three knee operations over the offseason, but has done enough rehabilitation work that he says he feels "close" to returning to the floor for NBA action for the first time since the Orlando Magic acquired him in August.

"I've only had a chance to go through two hard practices where I went full speed and I feel good," Harrington said, according to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com. "I feel like I'm really close now. I'm just going to keep working and rehabbing. I feel like there's finally light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not exactly sure when I'll get to go out there, but I feel like it should be soon."

Orlando will need Harrington's scoring punch on the front lines. Glen Davis, its starting power forward, might be out for the season due to a broken bone in his left foot. Harrington placed fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting in the 2011/12 season, his last before joining the Magic, on the strength of his 14.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Davis averaged 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.

According to Denton, Harrington has joined the team on each of its last three roadtrips in order to "build chemistry with his new teammates."

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