"Team doctors insist that Caron Butler won't be ready to play full contact basketball again until training camp opens in the fall.

But the stubborn Butler believes he'll be ready by the time the Dallas Mavericks start playing playoff games in April.

Never mind that he had surgery Jan. 4 to repair a ruptured right patellar tendon. Butler claims to be a quick healer and has his mind set on being back in uniform in late April.

"Today is the first day running in the pool and I felt great,'' Butler said while riding the stationary bicycle after Tuesday's practice. "This is what they call phase two, and I'm getting to phase six.

"I'm able to ride the bike, first day running [in the pool], eight weeks in I start doing some strengthening stuff. From that point on its how much can you take? So throw everything at it and as long as I'm not having any issues, any problems, any complications, then we continue to move forward.''

That goal of being ready to play by the time the postseason rolls around may be unrealistic to some. But not for Butler.

He's been through a similar rehab stint when he was about 15 years old.

"I went through the same situation and thought that I'd be out for the season,'' Butler said. "It happened in August, and I ended up playing in Little League back in Racine, WI, and I was able to be pretty effective out there.

"I didn't have any insurance at the time, so it was a little different to get the proper medi-care. It's a little different now – I'm truly blessed and fortunate, so we'll see what happens.''

Butler was the Mavs' third-leading scorer at 15 points per game when he was injured New Year's Day in a game in Milwaukee. The 6-7 small forward vows that he won't rush back onto the court to prove a point to anyone, but knows he faces some stiff challenges."