Caron Butler, plain and simple.

Game thread is below.  Use it.  -PM

Call him your one to watch. Call him your X-factor. Call him your key to the game. Call him whatever cliché you want, just don't call Caron Butler's glass half empty of Tuff Juice.

He's been through a laundry list of injuries this year: hip, hamstring, ankle, wrist, knee, Mountain Dew stomach and plastic straw mouth.....it doesn't matter, Caron Butler just keeps on keeping on.

Gilbert, DeShawn, and LeBron have provided plenty of distractions. Good. Caron will be just fine flying under the radar like his fellow Big 3er, Antawn Jamison.

The Pradamaster is more than right to say that work on the glass will dictate the series. But for the Washington Wizards in game one, the play of Caron Butler will set the tone, especially with Agent Zero coming off the bench.

As much as Butler has improved his 3-point shooting this year (increasing his previous career percentage by 5.5% and knocking down almost 47% of his previous career total), his nose for the ball has gone Pinocchio (remember Caron being all over the court in the 4th quarter of the game 36 win in Boston?).

Just like Arenas, Butler missed last year's playoffs and he is as thirsty as anyone.

How far will Caron go to get it? All the way from the streets of Racine to the NBA Playoffs.