Wizards get ready to tackle the Cavs in Cleveland

November 3, 1:26 PMWashington Wizards ExaminerGeorge Panagakos

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Butler is back tonight for Washington.  Will he play LeBron-
stopper? (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Washington is on the road tonight on this national Election Day, as the Wizards tackle the 2-2 Cleveland Cavaliers.  Caron Butler is expected to return to the line-up for the Wizards while the Cavs' will be without Delonte West.

Butler, who remained in a suit for Washington's Halloween home opener last Saturday after bruising his knee the day prior in Atlanta, is one of three Wizards whom have clocked some injury time this season.  Javaris Crittenton and Antawn Jamison have missed all three Wizards games thus far.  Crittenton is expected to be back in early December from what began as a tendon strain in his foot, while Jamison has been out since a preseason collision with the Cavs own Zydrunas Ilgauskas and is expected back sometime around Thanksgiving.

While Cleveland's "Big Z" didn't suffer the same arm-jarring partial dislocation that Jamison did on that fateful October day, Ilgauskas now has a split role at center with four-time NBA Champion Shaquille O'Neal.  Shaq will have to take some time to get used to Cleveland after a one-year bounce in Phoenix, and the combo of LeBron James and Shaq up front is enough to make any team in the league nervous, despite Shaq's 37-year-old body.

Some of the reasons the Cavs have a 2-2 record thus far are off-court, such as the case of Delonte West, however, I'll leave his personal battles out of this one.  There was also a flu bug in Cleveland, which made the preseason drag and probably did not offer Head Coach Mike Brown as many looks as he might have liked before the real show began.  There's also the argument on Shaq himself; how hungry are you after you've won four rings?

At Media Day earlier this year, Gilbert Arenas told the press there is not a rivalry between Washington and Cleveland, stating the fact Cleveland has been the only winner of the two teams in recent postseason play.  However, the last time these two teams played in D.C., Gil and company seemed pretty hungry for a victory.  On this Election Day in Cleveland, who do you think will do the most road damage for Washington?

The Wizards and the Cavs will renew their rivalry tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET, in Game 1 of three this season.  Washington will host Cleveland on November 18th for Game 2, then battle the Cavs on the road again on January 6th to cap the season series.  Tonight's game will air on Comcast SportsNet and stream on 106.7 The Fan.

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