NBA Preseason: Expect a Cavaliers win tonight over undermanned Celtics

Tonight’s game with the Cavaliers could be a mismatch. After all, Brian Scalabrine won’t be playing.

Honestly, though, tonight’s game could become a blowout of epic proportions. While Doc Rivers has said he will rest his starters, Cleveland coach Mike Brown vows to play Lebron James and Shaquille O’Neal (and, presumably, the rest of his starters) big minutes as the Cavs play in front of a sold-out home crowd at Ohio St. University.

And the Celtics won’t even have Scal to counter. He sprained an ankle last night when he landed on a photographer, and then was apparently pissed about it afterwards, thinking the cameraman was “beyond the established line for camera positions.” Oh well, Scal, at least it wasn’t another concussion.

As Doc has said, the Big Three will be resting for tonight. With Scal’s injury, I’m not sure who he means by the Big Three: Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen, or the injured/sick trio of Scal, Michael Sweetney and Tony Allen. After all, Sweetney can make any “Three” Big.

Either way, look for the Celtics to get pummeled tonight, and then remember that this game doesn’t matter, not one bit. Lebron will probably score an easy 25, Shaq may or may not struggle to handle Perk and Rasheed, and Anthony Parker will look across the court at Shelden Williams and think to himself, “Man, that guy impregnated my sister.” For the Celtics, Marquis Daniels (who really impressed last night against the Knicks) will see a lot of time, Rasheed will make Shaq guard him from 25 feet from the basket, and Lester Hudson and J.R. Giddens will continue trying to make the best of limited minutes.

If you’re sick of these preseason games and can’t wait until the games actually count, I’m right there with you. I’ve had enough of the preseason; I just want the games to finally matter. I don’t want to watch the Celtics and Cavs and see Marquis Daniels guarding Lebron and Hudson guarding Mo Williams. No offense to Daniels or Hudson, I like both of them as players, but I want to see Pierce and Lebron mano-a-mano, and I want to see Rondo running circles around Williams while Williams gives Rondo a clinic on how a point guard should shoot. I want Shaq versus Perkins down low, and I want to see Shaq hobble around like an old man after Rasheed on the perimeter. I want Kevin Garnett showing Anderson Varejao how to play ‘D’ without flopping, not Big Baby and Varejao in a flopping contest.

I’m going to endure this last game, and then the preseason will officially be over. The regular season will finally be on the way, and the Cavs and Celtics will match up again, in six days. By then, we’ll finally be able to see both teams’ ‘A’ Squads.