Celtics (5-2) at Cavs (4-3) 10/21

[FLCeltsFan]

  at 
Boston Celtics (5-2) at Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)
Wednesday, October 21
7:00 PM ET
TV:  CSN HD, LP 752
Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio



Doc has said that he is going to sit out his starters in this game.  He doesn't want his veterans to get hurt by young players trying too hard to make a team.  So, I don't have a clue who will sit and who Doc will play. He may even start his regular 5 and sit them after a few minutes.  After Doc spent 2 days talking about about how he was going to start Marquis Daniels  and then starting Rondo anyway,  anything can happen.

 So, here are your Boston Celtics and 5 will start and 11 will not.  That's as close to a prediction as I can make. 
Ray Allen
Tony Allen  (ankle)  out
Marquis Daniels
Big Baby Davis
Kevin Garnett
JR Giddens
Eddie House
Lester Hudson
Kendrick Perkins
Paul Pierce
Rajon Rondo
Brian Scalabrine
Bill Walker   (knee)  out
Rasheed Wallace
Shelden Williams
Mike Sweetney   (flu)  out




This is the Cavaliers final game before the regular season as well.  However, the Cavs are in a much different place as a team than the Celtics are.   The Cavs have had flu and injuries deplete their team and so they haven't been able to see their starters play together or get any kind of regular rotation going.  Mike Brown has said that he will probably start what he hopes to be  his regular starters of LeBron, Varejao, Shaq, Parker, and Williams since they haven't gotten that much time as a team will all the flu and injuries.  But then again, who knows.

Here's the enemy.  Again, 5 will start, 13 will not
Andre Barrett   (flu)  day to day
Daniel Gibson  (tail bone)  out
Daniel Green  (gluteus)  out
JJ Hickson   (flu)  day to day
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Darnell Jackson
LeBron James
Coby Karl
Jamario Moon
Shaquille O'Neal
Anthony Parker
Leon Powe   (knee) out
Russell Robinson
Anderson Varejao  (flu)  day to day
Darryl Watkins
Delonte West  (personal) questionable
Jawad Williams
Mo Williams 

Team Connections
Leon Powe and Delonte West are former Celtics
West was drafted by the Celtics with the 24th overall pick in the 2004 Draft
Powe played for the Celtics from 2006-09
Paul Pierce and Darnell Jackson are former KansasJayhawks
Daniel Green, Jawad Williams and Rasheed Wallace are former North Carolina Tar Heels
Shaquille O’Neal and Glen Davis  both attended Louisiana State.  Here is a little something from the Boston Globe about the relationship between Big Baby and Shaq and about when Big Baby got to meet his idol.

Shaq jokingly calls Davis, who followed in his footsteps at LSU, "my son."
"I was 14 or 15, and I went to his house and I was hanging with Shaq," Davis says. "He says to me, 'Let's go outside and wrestle.' We started wrestling. I pinned him down. He couldn't budge me."
The 7-1, 325-pound O'Neal confirms the story.
"He picked me up and body-slammed me," says Shaq. "That's when I knew he was for real."

 

Game Notes.
Doc has said that he will probably play Perk and Rondo but I imagine Pierce, KG, and Ray will sit and possibly even Sheed. 

Both teams are playing in back to back games.  The Celtics are coming off a 108-103 loss to the Knicks while the Cavs are coming off a 96-66 blowout win over the Mavs. 

What to watch in this incredibly meaningless game.
We will see a lot of the bench in this game and so we need to watch who stands out and who seems to lag behind. 

Look for chemistry and execution among the bench players and how their games are meshing.

Cavaliers foolishness.  When last we played this team the Cavs players were taunting and putting on a show and dancing on the sidelines.  Will they continue to do more of the same or have more of a professional decorum on the bench?

[steved24]

TP FL. Great preview as always. It will be interesting to see how this game goes, preseason or not let it be a preview of both teams bench capabilities before going into game 1 for real next week.

[Atzar]

So who gets the honor of taking on LeBron?  Other than Paul, there isn't anybody on this team I'm comfortable throwing at him.  Quis isn't strong enough, Scal isn't <insert positive trait here> enough, Giddens... honestly might be worth a shot, physically I think he measures up better than anybody on our team.  He'll probably get munched, but at least it doesn't really matter if he sucks. 

Logic tells me that Quis will be on Bron for most of LBJ's time in the game, but I hope Doc throws JR at him for a few possessions. 

[nickagneta]

So I wonder who will be wearing the nicest suit, LeBron, KG or Pierce because I expect none to play or even dress for this meaningless exhibition.

[Bahku]

So I wonder who will be wearing the nicest suit, LeBron, KG or Pierce because I expect none to play or even dress for this meaningless exhibition.

My guess: KG ... he seems to have the best taste in suits, (and the biggest diamonds in his ears).

[pengaloo]

According to a Cavs beat writer, "LeBron and Shaq expected to play large minutes tomorrow in front of sellout at Ohio State vs. Celtics."

[xmuscularghandix]

According to a Cavs beat writer, "LeBron and Shaq expected to play large minutes tomorrow in front of sellout at Ohio State vs. Celtics."

I'm looking for a big game out of JR tonight, i'd say the same for Billy but he's hurt.

JR came out of high school the same year as james and played him in the mcdonalds game, obviously LBJ was the better prospect but JR was brought in by Kansas with high expectations. Those went down as JR went through his problems with bar fights, healthy scratches, school transfers, being perceived as a bad teammate, dropping in the draft... I think JR might get some mintutes tonight and have some of these topics on his mind.

[clover]

According to a Cavs beat writer, "LeBron and Shaq expected to play large minutes tomorrow in front of sellout at Ohio State vs. Celtics."

Lebron and Shaq vs. the Red Claws South.  Should be interesting.  (And great opportunity for JR!)

[ACF]

TP FL. Great preview as always.

[indeedproceed]

According to a Cavs beat writer, "LeBron and Shaq expected to play large minutes tomorrow in front of sellout at Ohio State vs. Celtics."

Lebron and Shaq vs. the Red Claws South.  Should be interesting.  (And great opportunity for JR!)

oh man I cannot wait for JR Giddens to just show up tonight and tear the roof off. We've all seen it coming for a while now, but this night, tonight, against the cavs starters, in an away game with a hostile crowd, playing next to other players who are mostly reserves, the stage is set for JR Giddens to absolutely throw convention out the window and make a layup.

[Rondo2287]

According to a Cavs beat writer, "LeBron and Shaq expected to play large minutes tomorrow in front of sellout at Ohio State vs. Celtics."

Lebron and Shaq vs. the Red Claws South.  Should be interesting.  (And great opportunity for JR!)

oh man I cannot wait for JR Giddens to just show up tonight and tear the roof off. We've all seen it coming for a while now, but this night, tonight, against the cavs starters, in an away game with a hostile crowd, playing next to other players who are mostly reserves, the stage is set for JR Giddens to absolutely throw convention out the window and make a layup.

Its too bad Billy is hurt.  I still love that video of him taunting Lebron.  It was classic

[j804]

Why is Doc setting out the starters to begin with? Its not like they dont have enough days to rest up. Shouldnt we be taking advantage of getting things situated/played out how were going to match up with Cle on opener night?

[xmuscularghandix]

Why is Doc setting out the starters to begin with? Its not like they dont have enough days to rest up. Shouldnt we be taking advantage of getting things situated/played out how were going to match up with Cle on opener night?

No. The Cavs have a new starting unit and are trying to mesh. Our starting 5 has won a championship and is coming off  back to back 60 win seasons. But our bench needs to mesh, thats why THEY are playing.

[j804]

Why is Doc setting out the starters to begin with? Its not like they dont have enough days to rest up. Shouldnt we be taking advantage of getting things situated/played out how were going to match up with Cle on opener night?

No. The Cavs have a new starting unit and are trying to mesh. Our starting 5 has won a championship and is coming off  back to back 60 win seasons. But our bench needs to mesh, thats why THEY are playing.

word thats true, plus i bet doc fears our starters trying to hard for the win and wants to save it for the opener to let it all hang out !

[xmuscularghandix]

Why is Doc setting out the starters to begin with? Its not like they dont have enough days to rest up. Shouldnt we be taking advantage of getting things situated/played out how were going to match up with Cle on opener night?

No. The Cavs have a new starting unit and are trying to mesh. Our starting 5 has won a championship and is coming off  back to back 60 win seasons. But our bench needs to mesh, thats why THEY are playing.

word thats true, plus i bet doc fears our starters trying to hard for the win and wants to save it for the opener to let it all hang out !

Exactly.