The league says it can't say when the Clippers can expect Lamar Odom back on the floor. But it's beginning to sound as if the league simply won't say when he'll be reinstated from a drug suspension it announced as a minimum of five games Nov. 5, writes the LA Times' Elliot Telford.

But the NBA's refusal to announce how long Odom will be suspended isn't good for the game. No other league handles suspensions in such a seemingly clandestine manner, leaving all concerned in the dark.

It's a particularly bad deal for the ticket-buying public, which expects to see the Clippers at full strength. After all, they're paying full price--in some cases, that means more than $1,000 for a courtside seat. There's no such thing as 20% off all tickets while Odom is out.

The league says Odom's suspension is a confidential matter between the player and the league's drug council. Perhaps the league would have been wiser to simply announce he had been suspended indefinitely.

Most people read the words "a minimum of five games" and see only "five games." Odom sat out his eighth game Tuesday, when the Clippers faced the Lakers at Staples Center. A sellout crowd of 20,316 showed up hoping to see Odom play, but Odom was not there.

So, why the cone of silence over Odom? The NBA has no comment.