Hobbled Battier to miss most of Rockets' preseason

HOUSTON -- Houston Rockets forward Shane Battier will be sidelined up to four weeks and miss most of preseason because of inflammation in his left foot.

He had surgery May 9 to remove bone spurs from his left ankle, and the team said the foot inflammation occurred during rehabilitation. The Rockets open training camp Tuesday.

The 6-foot-8 forward started 78 games last season and averaged 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. He was one of the team's most dependable 3-point shooters, hitting 38 percent.