Butler Hamstrung on Wizards' Trip

Caron Butler is with the Washington Wizards as they open a four-game road trip tonight against the Utah Jazz, but the two-time all-star continues to be bothered by tightness in his left hamstring and is day-to-day.

Butler, who sat out Sunday's home win over Sacramento, underwent an MRI exam yesterday that revealed no new information.

He is not sure when he will play again but did not rule out playing before the trip concludes at Phoenix on Saturday night.

"That will be a medical decision," interim coach Ed Tapscott said of Butler's status. "Whatever makes sense, that's what we'll go with."

If Butler doesn't play tonight, the Wizards (16-51) will again play without four projected opening-day starters: Butler, Gilbert Arenas, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson, who is out for the season. Arenas, who has been practicing off and on since Feb. 16, is not on the trip, while Haywood, who was medically cleared to practice over the weekend, is with the team.

With 15 games remaining in the season, time is running out for a return by Arenas or Haywood. Because the team had yesterday off before flying to Salt Lake City, Haywood will not have an opportunity to participate in a full practice until next Tuesday.

At that point, the veteran center feels that he will need at least "five to 10 good, hard practices" before determining his availability for game action.

Tapscott concurred with that assessment when asked about Haywood's timetable before Sunday's game against Sacramento, saying it would be "unfair" to expect Haywood to try to play in a game before he's had a chance to get his rhythm back with several practices.

Haywood has not played or practiced since early October, when he injured his right wrist in one of the final training camp workouts. He underwent surgery on Oct. 16 and has been waiting for the tendons in the wrist to heal after pins were removed last month.

The wrist has responded well to rehabilitation and Haywood has remained in terrific physical condition, so he won't have to slim down before getting back on the court.

"His weight is way down and that was just because he was fanatical about his cardiovascular work," Tapscott said. "But, being on the treadmill, being on the elliptical machine, being on the bike is entirely different than playing basketball, running and jumping, bumping and grabbing and pushing and all of that. That is entirely different and that is what he has to go through, getting his timing back. There is no substitute for practice and time, and that is where we are at."

Jazz in Need of a Win

Utah (41-26) has dropped three straight -- all on the road -- and is trying to hold on in a brutally competitive Western Conference playoff race. Entering last night's games, the Jazz was only one game ahead of eighth-place Dallas and only three back of second-place San Antonio.

In the first meeting between the teams on Nov. 12 at Verizon Center, the Wizards earned their first victory of the season, 95-87. . . .

Tapscott said he plans to stick with a starting lineup of Mike James and Dominic McGuire at guard, Antawn Jamison and Andray Blatche at forward and Darius Songaila at center. The team is 1-3 with that lineup.