BREAKING: Caron situation gets even worse

by Mike Prada on Feb 28, 2008 3:51 AM EST in Injuries

Per usual, a minor injury turns into something a lot worse.

Washington Wizards all-star forward Caron Butler has a partial tear of a labrum in his left hip, the team announced Wednesday.

There's no update on a possible return date, and they'll reevaluate him next week after he misses the Chicago and New Orleans games Friday and Sunday, but my guess is the news won't be very good. How bad, I don't know, but while I'm not a doctor, I'm usually pretty good at preparing for bad news. This seems like one of those times.

I'll stop distressing now, because we really don't know, but I'm not a happy camper right now, to say the least.

Update [2008-2-28 14:46:16 by Pradamaster]: Ivan checks in again, and though he doesn't have an update, he does preach the need for caution.

For an example, google the name Mats Sundin.

He's a hockey player with the Maple Leafs. After last season, team exit exams revealed a torn labrum in his hip and not long after that, a report out of Toronto paper jumped the gun and said the injury would require surgery and could be career ending. As it turned out, Sundin, who played with the injury all of last season, never required surgery and has played all 65 games this season.

Now, I'm not saying the injuries are the same. Maybe Caron's situation is better, or worse. The point is that we don't know.

Meanwhile, Will Brinson from Fanhouse suggests the Wizards should hold Butler out for the season and not worry about how this season plays out. This sounds nice, but alas, they don't have the power to tell Gilbert not to opt out. It would be nice if things worked like that.

Honestly, I really wish the Wizards wouldn't have released this information until they knew how long he would be sidelined. What exactly does this press release tell anyone that they don't already know? And though I understand why Ivan decided to blog this story before he spoke with Caron, because of the 24-hour news cycle, I wonder whether it was really necessary to do so and subject so many readers to baseless speculation. It's a tough call, no doubt, but I probably would have waited to write anything until I knew Caron's timetable.

All this is a roundabout way in saying that I hope we'll get good news soon.

Update [2008-2-28 16:14:18 by JakeTheSnake] You can find out more about hip labrum tears here if you can keep up with all the big, fancy, medical words. If you're a little behind on your anatomy classes you can just take Shakira's advice. Whatever suits you best.

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This would never have happened if you wee sleeping at 4 in the morning Prada.

dammit man. this sucks. if the season's gonna end like this, we shouldve traded jamison and re-signed him in the offseason.

07-08 Reg Season Stndgs(predicted 8/6/07) 1 Chi 52-30 2 Was 51-31 3 Cle 50-32 4 Bos/Det 48-34 6 Tor/Mia 47-35 8 NJ 42-40 9 NY/Orl 41-41

by kdp922 on Feb 28, 2008 7:15 AM EST reply actions

Th-th-tha-thats all folks!

well at least it will be interesting to see if a gimpy Gil can take help get us out of the first round.

Shouldn't the medical staff have known this before or did he tear it by coming back to soon?

by LoDawg31 on Feb 28, 2008 8:06 AM EST reply actions

They're saying the latter

Although you have to wonder about whether the former is closer to the truth.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Feb 28, 2008 2:14 PM EST up reply actions

The Worst Medical/Training Staff in the League

Seriously. Shouldn't they have figured this out oh, let's say, four weeks ago? Maybe they were overconfident after clearing Gilbert to play to start the season, and we all know that he was fully healthy and that was a great decision. But at least they're keeping the other guys healthy, like DeShawn and AD, who have no physical ailments whatsoever thanks to the great treatment they're getting from our great training staff.

I hate to say it, but it's time to start talking about draft picks and offseason moves, because this team is going nowhere if they make the playoffs, and I'm not even sure they'll make the playoffs at this point. The Curse of Les Boulez continues...

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Feb 28, 2008 8:46 AM EST reply actions

One thing

We still don't know how long he's out, so let's not completely jump to conclusions.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Feb 28, 2008 9:51 AM EST reply actions

Well that explains -

why its been taking him so long to even go through a full practice. But I just don't get why they just discovered this or whether they they knew this previously and just didn't disclose this. I'm not going to overreact like I usually do but I would love to hear some answers from the training staff.

by ooba on Feb 28, 2008 10:10 AM EST reply actions

Most important offseason move

Upgrade the training staff.

I'm not saying this is entirely their fault, but if training staffs could be ranked, there's no way ours would be in the upper echelon.

Two seasons in a row marred by injury. And this is an upgrade that wouldn't impact the salary cap...

by sierradave on Feb 28, 2008 12:22 PM EST reply actions

Absolutely

And we shouldve traded Antwaan and his expiring deal plus Nick Young plus a 1st round pick or two to Memphis for Pau Gasol.........

But that wouldnt help us much either, as Caron and Gil are both out and our training staff would probably have had Gasol injured by now as well....

And Ernie is still sleeping apparently while Mitch Cupchak of all people (Who we ROBBED for Caron) ended up looking like a genius......

But yea, the training staff is horrible.

by billy332 on Feb 28, 2008 4:49 PM EST up reply actions

Antawn deal, really?

This is OT, I guess, but I don't see Antawn-for-Pau being a good deal. Head-to-head, Antawn is putting up better numbers as the second option on a better team. Granted, Gasol provides stronger defense, but I don't see Gasol being that much of an upgrade for the team. In the short-run, this is a solid team in the east with our big 3 healthy, and it's basically a lottery squad with two of them out of the lineup. That would be true with Antawn or with Gasol.

In the long-term, the team wouldn't be able to resign both Jamison and Gil during the offseason if they also had Gasol's contract on the books. So again, we'd be trading a 20-10 guy with outstanding leadership for a not-quite 20-10 guy whose better at defense but brings worse team chemistry. That just isn't such a killer deal.

Kupchak looks like a genius in the same way that I look like a good poker player. It isn't that he has all that much skill, it's that he managed to do business with a total sucker.

by sierradave on Feb 28, 2008 5:22 PM EST up reply actions

You know

I'm hoping for an 8 seed and a first round matchup against the Celts. Why? I think we match up well with them, and I think we might outgun them in a 7 game series. I just am praying that we make the playoffs and somehow get Arenas and CB back healthy enough to be the team no one wants to face. It could happen - we just need someone to step up and be the goto guy enough to get us in the playoffs (and don't tell me AJ - honestly.)

I've been known to be right.

by Icantfeelmyface on Feb 28, 2008 2:12 PM EST reply actions

THIS SUX

My day was just ruined. If I could type FU$& over and over, I would. I mean, FU*(

What? They don't have TV in the D-League? Don't watch me, watch TV.

by Mac G on Feb 28, 2008 3:31 PM EST reply actions

From bad to worse

Ever since that lackluster game against Milwaukee that we lost in overtime, this season has just been an absolute collapse...... thank god we're in the east, I just hope Caron can get back come playoff time (Where we may have to meet up with the powerhouse Celtics + Cassell and PJ Brown in the 1st round if we dont get Gilbert or Caron back soon and Chicago/NJ/Atlanta pick it up after their personnel moves).......

I'll admit it, i am scared. I dont think Caron will be able to come back until the last few weeks of the season...... we could really be in trouble.

GILBERT! WE NEED YOU!!!!! PLEASE COME BAcK SOON!!1 MaRCH 1st CANt HAPPEN, BUT CAN MARCH 2nd?!?!?!?

Gilbert could really be the savior here, he really could. If he comes back say 5 games from now and we're 5 games under .500 (say 30-35), I have no doubt in my mind that he will get us above .500 and then Caron will come back with 2 weeks left and we will go on AN ABSOLUte TEAR to finish the season with 44 or 45 wins.

PAGING AGENT ZERO, PAGING aGeNT ZERO!!!!!!!

by billy332 on Feb 28, 2008 4:46 PM EST reply actions