Commentary

Daily Notes for Thursday: Odom returns from suspension

Updated: March 11, 2009, 11:56 AM ET

By Neil Tardy | Special to ESPN.com

Matchups for Thursday, March 12

Time	Visitors		Opp. PPG	Opp. FGP	RPG Diff.		Home		Opp. PPG	Opp. FGP	RPG Diff.
8 p.m.		Los Angeles Lakers	100.6	.448	+2.9	@		San Antonio Spurs	93.4	.452	+0.6
10:30 p.m.		Cleveland Cavaliers	90.4	.429	+3.0	@		Phoenix Suns	106.0	.462	+0.5

All times ET.
Key: Opp. PPG = Points per game allowed to opponents. Opp. FGP = Field goal percentage allowed to opponents. RPG Diff. = The difference between a team's rebounds per game and its opponents' rebounds per game.

Injury report

Out
Manu Ginobili, SG, Spurs (ankle)
Ben Wallace, C, Cavaliers (leg)

Day-to-day
Drew Gooden, PF/C, Spurs (groin)

Start 'em, sit 'em

Andrew Bynum excepted, the Lakers will have everyone available for the matchup against the Spurs. You might not have expected that after Monday's dustup in Portland. However, Trevor Ariza wasn't suspended for his Type 2 flagrant foul on the Blazers' Rudy Fernandez (Type 2, in this case, being a clothesline to the scalp), and Lamar Odom served his one-game suspension Wednesday in Houston. That one worked out for Odom owners -- lose your guy for a night that has 10 other games on the schedule, but get him back for Thursday's two-game slate. … San Antonio, on the other hand, again will be without Manu Ginobili and Drew Gooden. Coach Gregg Popovich suggested to the San Antonio Express-News that Gooden could make his Spurs debut Saturday in Houston or March 16 in Oklahoma City. It will be a bit longer for Ginobili, who's rehabbing but not yet practicing.

Waiver-wire pickups

The Lakers and Suns both allow more than seven 3-pointers per game, leaving you with multiple fill-in possibilities if you're in need of triples. I'd look first to Delonte West, who's available in 65 percent of ESPN.com leagues. West played perhaps his worst game of the season Tuesday against the Clippers, but expect him to bounce back in Phoenix. (Sure he will. I mean, this guy wouldn't steer you wrong.) … If West is rostered, try Roger Mason (70 percent available) or Matt Bonner (98 percent available). Bonner has slipped of late, but Mason has averaged 3.0 3s in his past four games. … Now that he's starting for Phoenix, Matt Barnes (91 percent available) is definitely a worthy add, even against the Cavs. He has averaged 19.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 3s in his past six starts.

Neil Tardy is a fantasy basketball analyst for ESPN.com.