Doc Rivers had previously said Shaq would skip one of the back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, so the Shaq news doesn’t come as a surprise. One interesting note: If the Celtics decide to sit Shaq during one game in each back-to-back this season (and I don’t know if they will), Semih Erden could play more than a bit role. With the way the Turk has played, that’s not horrible news.

UPDATE: Rivers told ESPN Boston:

“Shaq won’t go, it’s his hip or something, I don’t know what it is. And I was going to sit him anyway. I might sit three or four guys, I’m not positive about that yet. Jermaine [O'Neal] will go, but that’s a decision we have to make. I wanted to see Jermaine with the starting lineup, but now I might sit other guys, so maybe we’ll wait until New York. It’s a back-to-back and I don’t want our [veteran] guys playing in both games. I have no idea, we’ll wait until we get on the plane and into the meetings.”

That hip’s been flaring up a lot. I hope it remains a nuisance and doesn’t evolve into a problem.