Wizards Are Trying to Get By
Patchwork Rotation In Place Until Daniels, Butler Return to Lineup

By Ivan Carter
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 24, 2007

If the Washington Wizards are going to get back to playing the type of basketball they were playing a few days ago, they'll need Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels to return.

Quick.

Butler hopes to be back from sprained ankles for Wednesday night's game at Charlotte; Daniels, who has been out since Miami's Dwyane Wade fell into his right knee last Thursday, is optimistic that he might be available for Saturday's home game against the Heat.

The staggered return of Butler and Daniels would be a boost to a squad that has been scrapping to get by with a lineup already missing Gilbert Arenas, Etan Thomas and Oleksiy Pecherov.

Coach Eddie Jordan never envisioned having to employ this depleted lineup when training camp opened in October, although this is not an entirely unfamiliar situation for the Wizards (13-13).

Forward Antawn Jamison summed it up after the Wizards dropped their third consecutive game on Saturday night, 93-85, at Indiana. Keeping with the theme, Jamison did so while wearing a wrap around his left wrist.

"Right now, personnel wise, it's very similar to the playoffs last year," said Jamison, who posted his 18th double-double of the season in the loss to the Pacers. "We had Caron for a while but he was out [Saturday night]. I guess the biggest difference now is we have two rookies playing a lot. It's big for us to have Gil and Caron out there. We've got some big games coming up and with us getting some bodies back, I believe this is the most important stretch of the season for us."

Butler's return is an important key, as the reigning all-star has been playing the best basketball of his career. But it could be argued that Daniels's presence is nearly as important, given the fact that he was the team's only true point guard when Arenas went out of the lineup on Nov. 18.

The Wizards have gone 1-3 since Daniels last played, and without him Jordan has been forced to employ DeShawn Stevenson, Roger Mason Jr. and rookie Nick Young in roles that ask them to handle the ball far more than they are accustomed to. Point guard Mike Wilks was signed on Wednesday and saw action in Friday's loss to Atlanta and Saturday's loss at Indiana but is still picking up the offense.

As a result, the Wizards have scored fewer than 100 points in each of the last four games and the offense has often been stagnant.

The difference was particularly glaring Saturday night when the Pacers finished with a 29-13 edge in assists while holding the Wizards to 40.3 percent shooting.

"Yeah, I was telling [Daniels] that he needs to get his butt back in the lineup," said Stevenson, who has shared point guard duties with Mason, Young and Wilks. "It's just something we have to deal with right now. We have to get these injuries off our backs and go out there and play the way we were playing before. We're doing our best to get Antawn in the flow and Brendan [Haywood] in the flow but when you have a shooting guard playing the point guard position, it's going to be an adjustment."

The good news is that the schedule has given the Wizards something of a break. The team had yesterday off and will have two days to practice before facing the Bobcats, who are 10-15 following a 103-99 loss to Milwaukee on Saturday night.

That should help aid the recovery process for Butler and Daniels. However, Butler underwent treatment yesterday for swelling in both ankles and Daniels hasn't been cleared to jog yet, so it may take a few days before the team determines the status of either player.

"Hopefully, we get some guys back but we just don't know yet," Jordan said. "But we have to live with it and make sure we are professional. Let's do the things we are supposed to do with the guys that are healthy and let the winning and losing take care of itself."