Injuries Put Butler Into All-Star Mix

ORLANDO, Jan. 19 -- Injuries to Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce and Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Redd may have opened up a spot on the Eastern Conference's all-star roster; and the way Wizards forward Caron Butler has been playing, that spot could be his.

Pierce, who ranks fifth among Eastern Conference forwards in the latest returns, is expected to be out until sometime after the all-star break with a stress reaction in his left foot. Redd, who ranks seventh among guards, has missed four games with an injury to his left patellar tendon and is not expected to be back until early February at the earliest.

Butler is not ranked among the top 10 forwards in fan voting but could be added to the roster by conference coaches. Butler entered Friday night's game at Orlando posting career numbers in several categories including scoring (20.9 points per game), rebounding (8.1 rpg), assists (4.0 apg) and field goal percentage (48.9 percent).

Five starters for the Feb. 18th game will be announced next Thursday and seven reserves will be named on Thursday, Feb. 1.

Fair Warning

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According to the blog he writes for http://www.nba.com, Gilbert Arenas has at least another 50-point scoring effort in him. According to his latest entry, Arenas said his next 50-point game will come Feb. 11 at Verizon Center against the Portland Trail Blazers and suggested that ESPN or TNT add the game to their national schedules.