Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Apple Zings.

Rick Bonnell, Charlotte Observer: "The Charlotte Bobcats moved new guy Boris Diaw into a vacant locker cubicle near co-captain [Gerald] Wallace. Not coincidentally, Diaw's new space is next to rookie Alexis Ajinca's cubicle. Diaw and Ajinca both grew up in France. After two days of the Frenchmen jabbering at each other in their native language, Wallace playfully declared one of them has to teach him enough French to feel part of the group. 'I've been through this before with Vlade and Peja,' Wallace said of his days in Sacramento, hanging with Eastern Europeans Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic. Coach Larry Brown said a side benefit to last week's trade with the Phoenix Suns is the potential for Diaw to mentor Ajinca through his France-to-NBA transition. Diaw is a former captain of the French national team with five seasons of NBA experience."

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press: "To correct his team's slow starts, coach Michael Curry put point guard Rodney Stuckey into the starting lineup last week at Washington. The thinking was that starting a true point guard would help unleash the scoring talents of Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, while still presenting a major scoring threat at the point. It appears the slow starts due to offensive lethargy could be a thing of the past as the Pistons are averaging 28.3 points in the first quarters of their past three games. The team is 2-1 over that span, following Saturday night's 90-86 near-meltdown against the Bobcats. Over those games, Stuckey is averaging 14.7 points and 9.7 assists."

Alan Hahn, Newsday: "Steve Nash, one of the many big names who potentially will be available in 2010, says he already feels a sense of departure from the Phoenix Suns. At least as he once knew them. 'I feel like I've been traded,' Nash said yesterday after practice at U.S. Airways Arena. 'I feel like I'm on a different team because everything's changed so much around here.'"

Brian Windhorst, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: "Because of their superstar, their record and some incredible team statistics early in the season, the Cavaliers have had the 'elite' tag slapped on them in the NBA's pecking order. Thus far they have earned it, but to keep it up they are going to have to address the only blemish on their 20-4 record. After Saturday night's loss to the Atlanta Hawks, which snapped an 11-game win streak, the Cavs are now just 1-4 this season on the road against teams with winning records."

Globe & Mail: "The Toronto Raptors added some depth Sunday, signing veteran centre Jake Voskuhl. Voskuhl, 31, has averaged 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 412 regular-season games with Chicago, Phoenix, Charlotte and Milwaukee. The six-foot-11, 255-pounder was selected 33rd overall in the 2000 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. The native of Katy, Texas averaged 6.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 138 career games at the University of Connecticut. He helped the Huskies capture the 1999 NCAA Championship."

David Waldstein, The Star-Ledger: "[Vince] Carter and the Nets return Monday night to the scene of the spectacle, the Air Canada Centre, where Raptors fans last saw Carter descending back to earth with his arms outstretched after one of the more improbable endings to a game — a reverse alley-oop dunk off an inbounds pass with 1.9 seconds remaining. He won't usually admit it, but the evidence suggests that playing here — where Raptors fans still vilify him for giving up on their team in 2004 — electrifies Carter's competitive jones. And the timing couldn't be better for the Nets, who take a three-game losing streak into the game. Since he was traded to the Nets in December 2004, fans here have booed and chided Carter virtually every time he has touched the ball. But their reception hasn't deterred him. There was the 3-pointer he hit at the buzzer in 2006 when Jason Kidd leaped into his arms. There was the playoff series against Toronto in 2007 when he averaged 28.8 points per game over the final four games as the Nets won the series in six. And there was the game here last month."

Sam Amick, Sacramento Bee: "Entering the season, it was widely believed Miller would be retained at least until next summer. He would qualify as an expiring contract at that point, drawing interest not only because of his unique talents but because there was a chance for substantial salary cap room for any team willing to take on the final season of his contract, worth $12.25 million. What's more, Spencer Hawes' inconsistent rookie campaign had left the organization clinging to Miller like a 7-foot security blanket that stabilized the center position. But with the Kings' woeful record and Hawes' vast improvement, Miller's exit could come sooner than expected. Numerous team sources said the Kings will continue to test the market for Miller leading up to the February trade deadline. The approach, it appears, will be one of high ambition and low motivation; the Kings are far from desperate to move Miller but more than willing to do so soon if the deal comes with enough payoff."

Mike Wells, Indianapolis Star: "[Roy] Hibbert, who grew up in the D.C. area and played collegiately at Georgetown, had been stuck on the bench as Pacers coach Jim O'Brien opted for a veteran frontline. Rasho Nesterovic and Jeff Foster have been getting almost all of the playing time in the post. But Saturday night in Milwaukee, O'Brien gave Hibbert his first start of the season. He responded with eight points, two rebounds and a block in 18 minutes. The positive was he only picked up one more foul after being called for two in the first six minutes of the game. The negative was he grabbed just two rebounds. Barring any last-minute changes, those in attendance tonight, which is expected to include members of the Georgetown basketball team, will get a chance to see the 7-2 center in the starting lineup again."

Frank Isola, New York Daily News: "Eddy Curry was being touted the next Shaquille O'Neal when he entered the NBA. It was an unfair label and one that the Knicks' center has been unable to live up to. 'He hasn't come close,' O'Neal says. 'I don't want to say anything that is going to hurt his feelings, but I don't know what is going on with him. In this league, when you're touted as something and in your mind you don't think you're that, then you either got to put up numbers or you got to play the game.' Curry's career is at a crossroads. He's sidelined with a knee injury that has kept him out of all 23 games this season. The Knicks have made it clear that they want to trade Curry because moving his contract would clear even more salary cap room for 2010. Curry knows he's not wanted and would welcome a change of scenery. But in order for Curry to be traded, he's got to play first, and O'Neal believes that if Curry is right both mentally and physically, he could thrive in Mike D'Antoni's system."

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel: "We're just six weeks into the NBA season, and five coaches already have been fired. What is this — hockey? The NHL traditionally has changed coaches early and often. Now basketball has the quick trigger finger. 'It's just a matter of you don't know the date — and you can't worry about it,' Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said. 'I think those guys who went didn't worry about it. You try to win games. And you realize that's the way it's going to go in this profession. You just do your job and when the time comes ... somebody else will do your job.'"

Real GM / Toronto Star: "It has now been five games since Jay Triano replaced Sam Mitchell as head coach of the Raptors and the players are noticing a lighter attitude. 'He reminded me of Jim Carrey the other day,' said Jamario Moon, comparing Triano to the comedic actor. 'We were sitting in the locker room before the game (on Friday). Chris (Bosh) was joking with me, saying, 'Can you talk on defense tonight? Say something on defense?' The team's lack of communication on defence, of course, is a frequent hot button. 'So Jay was walking through the locker room when Chris said it, and Jay said to me, 'Yeah, Jamario, talk. And say something besides, 'Help!'' Moon let out a howl. 'I was like, 'Wow.' But I didn't mind. Jay's a cool dude.'"

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