Daily Notes for Thursday: Pietrus healthy again
| Time | Visitors | Opp. PPG | Opp. FGP | RPG Diff. | Home | Opp. PPG | Opp. FGP | RPG Diff. | |||
| 8 p.m. |  | Cleveland Cavaliers | 90.6 | .425 | +3.6 | @ |  | Orlando Magic | 94.3 | .430 | +0.4 |
| 10:30 p.m. |  | San Antonio Spurs | 93.9 | .455 | -0.3 | @ |  | Phoenix Suns | 102.7 | .452 | +1.0 |
All times are ET.
Key: Opp. PPG = Points per game allowed to opponents. Opp. FGP = Field goal percentage allowed to opponents. RPG Diff. = The difference between team's rebounds per game and its opponents' rebounds per game.
Out
Delonte West, PG/SG, Cavaliers (wrist)
Day-to-day
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, Cavaliers (ankle)
I don't think Zydrunas Ilgauskas will play on Thursday. I'm not a doctor; it's just that reading between the lines is part of my job. Actually, it isn't even a line, but a single word that Mike Brown offered about Big Z in today's Akron Beacon Journal: rusty. That's how the Cavs coach assessed Ilgauskas in his return to practice on Monday. So I expect him to sit at least another game -- especially since the next game is against the Magic and Dwight Howard. However, this is a feel-good story for Ilgauskas owners. After missing 12 games with a cracked bone in his left ankle, Z's return seems imminent. … Taking advantage of the league's most generous 3-point defense, Leandro Barbosa went for 23 points and three treys at Washington on Monday. That's two straight 20-point outings for Barbosa but, of course, it won't be nearly as easy against the Spurs, who allow the fourth-fewest treys. … Jason Richardson is shooting just 29.8 percent from beyond the arc in January, and he's been held to single digits in five of his past nine games.
In his return from a broken right wrist, Mickael Pietrus blistered the Pacers for 27 points and 10 rebounds (both season highs) on Tuesday. He might not post half those numbers against the Cavs, who allow the fewest points and the second-lowest opponents' field-goal percentage. But at 40 percent unowned, Pietrus is a free-agent prize. … Anderson Varejao, who's been starting for Ilgauskas, should see at least one more night of 30-plus minutes. Available in 88 percent of ESPN.com leagues, Varejao is averaging 10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals in January. … Sasha Pavlovic remains a quality option for deep leagues (at least 12 teams). In six starts for the injured Delonte West, Pavlovic is averaging 11.7 points, 2.2 3s and 55.1 percent shooting. … After totaling 16 points in a four-game span, Matt Bonner amassed 20 points and six 3s (both season highs) at Utah Tuesday. Phoenix is below-average at defending the 3, making Bonner a solid fill-in.
Neil Tardy is a fantasy basketball analyst for ESPN.com.
