I need to start waking up early to get ready for this monster, so each weekday morning, BDL will look at the morning papers/blogs to kill some time. We'll see how long this lasts.

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times: "Andrew Bynum turns 21 on Oct. 27. Then comes an even bigger date. The Lakers have until Oct. 31 to sign Bynum to a five-year contract extension, though discussions with the team have been 'few and not significant,' according to Bynum's agent, David Lee. [...] Bynum, who will make $2.8 million this season in the final year of his contract, can sign a five-year extension worth up to about $85 million, a figure that won't officially be determined until the NBA's salary cap for the 2009-10 season is announced next summer. The Lakers currently do not plan on offering Bynum a maximum deal, and they want to gauge his health and on-court prowess over the final five exhibition games.'"

Phil Jasner, Philadelphia Daily News: "Elton Brand isn't accustomed to playing with a shot-blocking center who has a penchant for catching lobs at the other end of the floor. Samuel Dalembert isn't accustomed to playing with a power forward who sets up regularly in the low post and commands a double-team. Time to go to work. 'Defensively, in terms of rebounding, there's no space that's not taken up by both,' Cheeks said before practice yesterday at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. 'The challenge is at the offensive end, because more often than not, Elton's going to have the ball. Sam will either be underneath, or stepping out on top, or screening a guard. Sam's spot will be defined by where Elton has the ball.'"

Ian T. Shearn and Dave D'Alessandro, The Star-Ledger: "Calling construction of a Brooklyn arena 'unlikely at best,' New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority chairman Carl Goldberg said Thursday he is interested in offering the Nets a chance to take a stake in Izod Center to keep the Nets there long term. Such a move would include renovations to the aging arena in the Meadowlands that has already lost the Devils to Newark. Goldberg's remarks, which came during a public session of a real estate conference in Teaneck, echoes a growing chorus of those who question whether owner Bruce Ratner can come up with financing for his proposed $950 million arena project in Brooklyn, which has been downscaled and delayed since it was rolled out more than four years ago. 'I do think the Nets will stay in New Jersey,' Goldberg said."

Mike Wells, Indianapolis Star: "Danny Granger was putting his shoes and socks on following Wednesday's seven-point victory over Dallas when he grabbed the box score and looked at his stat line. Granger probably had a similar response when he looked at the first two preseason games. He was 1-of-11 against New Orleans and 1-of-6 against Chicago. The Pacers' leading scorer last season has also made just two of his 13 3-point attempts in the preseason. Is there cause for concern? No, according to Granger."

Sekou Smith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The Hawks don’t keep a statistic for how many offensive touches a player gets during a game. If they did, second-year center Al Horford might have smashed his career record during Wednesday’s preseason game against Phoenix. His nine field goal attempts was just slightly above his season average from his rookie year. However, the Hawks’ repeated attempts to get Horford the ball marked a strategic shift. 'We’re going to have to go to Al more,' Woodson said. 'I’ve got to find a way to get him more shots. And he’s got to make a commitment to work harder at developing some more low-post moves where he’s just not predictable. And I think he can do that. But it’s just a matter of me utilizing him more on the block and getting him the ball.'"

Doug Smith, Toronto Star: "Few Raptors have been as confounding or perplexing as Joey Graham, he of the athletic gifts many NBA players would die for. He of an inconsistent nature that drives coaches and teammates to near apoplexy. But this is a new season, a year of new chances and Graham once again finds himself in position to win a significant Raptors role. The chance began in earnest last night when Graham not only made his pre-season debut, but made it as a starter ahead of Jamario Moon in Toronto's 90-86 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Graham, entering his fourth year in the NBA, gets a clean slate because coach Sam Mitchell knows he'll need him to at least be productive, if not outstanding at times this season."

Ross Siler, Salt Lake Tribune: "[Deron] Williams has been pretty hilarious this season. Before Wednesday's game, he begged me to ask a question so he could do an impersonation of C.J. Miles talking to reporters his rookie season. I wasn't around then, but I guess Miles got a little excited whenever he was interviewed. He was fresh out of high school. Williams strung together about three run-on sentences in a row. Brevin Knight was joking that it sounded like you could go take a shower and come back to find C.J. still answering the same question."

Kevin Ding, OC Register: "Kobe Bryant was ready for the question, and he didn’t want to hear it. 'Don’t ask me nothing silly,' he said after Lakers practice at Staples Center. Bryant didn’t want to feed the new story that Greek club Olympiacos was gearing up to offer him $60 million over three years after the coming NBA season. 'Next question,' Bryant said flatly. Two weeks ago Bryant called the idea of him going to Europe for $50 million 'a joke.'"

Press Release: "The Miami Heat announced on Thursday that forward James Jones will undergo surgery on Saturday, Oct. 18 to repair a ruptured extensor tendon in his right wrist. The rupture occurred during practice on Oct. 15. After consulting with Heat team physician Dr. Harlan Selesnick, the surgery will be performed by Dr. Ann Ouellette. Following surgery, Jones will have his wrist placed in a cast and he is expected to be out for three months."

A. Sherrod Blakely, Flint Journal: "Curry said Walter Herrmann, who has missed Detroit's last five games due to a sore ribs injury, has undergone a number of tests to determine the severity of the injury. 'He's had a few tests done on it,' Curry said. 'It's just one of those funny things, when you're dealing with bone and cartilage in that area. All the X-rays and tests, from what I heard, came up negative.' One of the reasons Detroit re-signed Herrmann this summer was because of his toughness. 'If he's in too much pain to play, then you know it's something pretty serious,' Curry said."

Brian Hanley, Chicago Sun-Times: "Bulls rookie Derrick Rose went up against Williams when he practiced against Team USA in Las Vegas over the summer. So Rose knows what a handful the former Illini star can be. 'But that's what you want,' Rose said. ''Come in and you're ready to learn, so you want to go against the best people. He and Chris Paul played a lot of minutes [in Las Vegas], so I played against him a lot.' Del Negro said he is not sure if he will start Rose, who already faced Jason Kidd this preseason in a home loss to Dallas last week."

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herlad: "The Celtics had a morning meeting with referee Bennett Salvatore to discuss the rules and points of emphasis for the coming season. It’s quite possible the replay process will be expanded to include 3-point shots (as in whether a player was truly behind the line). The league has also given the refs more latitude in certain technical foul situations. 'They want the game to look good as far as how (the coaches) act and how the players act and all that,' Rivers said. 'But they’re actually going to use more common sense in that. They’re not going to react right away. Like the dumbest rule is when a guy is frustrated and throws the ball off the stanchion, clearly not at the ref. That shouldn’t be a tech, and they’re going to take things like that out, which I think is good.'"

Ailene Voisin, Sac Bee: "Mike Dunleavy Sr. previously served as both head coach and general manager when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks and doesn't anticipate a difference in his workload now that Elgin Baylor is no longer with the Clippers. 'Nothing will change much,' said Dunleavy, who was already largely responsible for personnel decisions. 'We do things by committee. And two other factors have made it (scouting) a lot different today: The addition of DirecTV and the internet. The availability of information is (extensive) ... everything is out there.'"