Not only was Caron Butler ejected for his punching foul against New Orleans guard Dan Dickau (great porn stage name, by the way), but with that will come a one game suspension.
There’s a very good case to make that Butler did nothing to earn a suspension — Dickau took Caron down from behind, intentionally roll-up Butler’s legs (that’s messing with an NBA player’s paycheck), he wouldn’t get off so what Butler did was essentially throw him off, Dickau had been involved with Chris Mihm the play before showing a pattern of frustration, and there were Dickau’s comments afterwards that he didn’t feel a punch if one was thrown.
However, in the wake of the stupidity in Detriot, there is almost no way Butler is getting off. There will be a one-game suspension.
What the Lakers need to do is appeal the suspension when it comes down later today or tomorrow. The required review will delay the suspension until after the Christmas Day game against Butler’s former team from Miami. That’s a game where the Lakers need him.
Update: Butler was suspended for the Miami game, but it is not something the Lakers can appeal. (Sorry for the bad info, but it was Laker broadcaster Joel Meyers who first suggested the appeal, so I didn’t look up whether or not it could be done.) Butler is really going to be missed against the Heat — my preview for that game should be up the afternoon of Christmas Eve.