Caron Butler tested his injured hip Monday at Verizon Center and indicated his first practice in 20 days was a success. But such pronouncements carry little weight these days for the star-crossed Wizards.
On the same day that Butler took an apparent step forward in his recovery from a torn labrum (hip), fellow All-Star Gilbert Arenas has apparently taken a step back as he did not work out after practicing last week on his surgically repaired knee.
“He didn’t practice, so I’m not going to comment on it,” said Wizards coach Eddie Jordan. “Only the guys that practice.”
Meanwhile Butler scrimmaged hard, sitting out only the final five minutes when he felt “tightness” in his groin.
“It felt real good. I was able to move around with no pain,” said Butler, who has missed 17 of the last 19 games, including 14 straight. “I was excited to be back on the court doing some explosive things. We’ll have to see how my body responds tonight.”
Butler put no timetable on his return. Jordan indicated that it might not take long.
“He needs another practice or so,” said Jordan. “Tomorrow, we’ll get a better read on him, how he recovers.”
Injury setbacks have become commonplace in this season of medical fits and starts. Forward Antawn Jamison sounded weary of the injury topic when asked if Butler’s presence in practice was a source of energy.
“They need to be on the court,” said forward Antawn Jamison. “It is good to have those guys moving around and getting closer and closer to playing. But we gotta be patient. It’s almost like Christmas — the days are counting down and you finally open up those presents.”
The Wizards can only hope there isn’t coal in their stockings again. Last year Butler (broken hand) and Arenas (torn meniscus) were injured in April and unable to play in the postseason, making the Wizards easy pickings in the opening round, as they were swept by Cleveland.
Washington (30-32) faces Milwaukee (23-40) tonight. It was against the Bucks that Butler first injured his hip, falling to the floor in a 105-102 overtime loss in which he scored a career-high 40 points.
Despite its record, Milwaukee is alive for a playoff berth as it stands 3.5 games behind eighth-place Atlanta.
“Milwaukee’s in a situation where they win four, five games in a row, they can make it to the playoffs,” said Jamison. “It seems like every team we play, you win, you help your status in the playoff hunt. You lose, it hurts.”
