Caron Butler’s Season Could Be in Jeopardy

An MRI exam will determine the fate of Caron Butler and his injured right knee, but according to the media in Dallas, things aren’t exactly promising. From the Morning News: “Caron Butler did not get back to Dallas in time Sunday to get his injured right knee examined. Early indications, however, are that the Mavericks small forward has at least a partial tear of the patella tendon in his right knee, a source close to Butler said. The full extent of the injury suffered Saturday night at Milwaukee will not be known until he has an MRI exam. Such an injury could jeopardize a major portion of the season for Butler, and perhaps all of it. That would be a horrific blow to the Mavericks’ high hopes for this season and a torturous break for a player who will be a free agent after this season. Butler was averaging 15 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 45 percent. After a slow start, he’d been particularly sharp in December, averaging almost 17 points. ‘He’s been playing his best ball lately,’ said Dirk Nowitzki. ‘We just got to stay positive somehow.’ It’s going to be a tough blow to overcome, no matter how long Butler is out. His toughness was as much an asset as his stats.”