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

Jody Genessy, Deseret News: "Jazz coach Jerry Sloan and point-guard great John Stockton have been nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame by the Utah Jazz. Turns out, they're not the only ones who will be considered near no-brainers to make the Class of 2009 on their first go-round. The class they could and should join will be a star-studded one. At the head of the class — and the whole Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, really — will be a guy who ripped the Jazz's hearts out a couple of times, namely one Michael Jordan. Another longtime Jazz nemesis, David Robinson, also has been nominated, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee."

Ted Kulfan, Detroit News: "The lack of intensity isn't acceptable. And Michael Curry sounded afterward like something will be done about it. 'We didn't play with the level of effort, focus and intensity we need to start games with,' Curry said. 'I am going to do something with the (starting) lineup.' What that'll be, Curry doesn't know yet. Curry will have Antonio McDyess back before the next game, Tuesday in Washington. But McDyess, Curry said, will return to his role off the bench. Rodney Stuckey possibly entering the starting lineup at the expense of Kwame Brown (or Amir Johnson) is a possibility. Or maybe Arron Afflalo or Walter Herrmann."

Jimmy Smith, New Orleans Times-Picayune: "If you're wondering if second-year forward Julian Wright will be returning to the Byron Scott's rotation any time soon, the answer is no. Scott said Saturday before the Hornets faced the Memphis Grizzlies that he's going with Sean Marks for the foreseeable future, allowing Wright the opportunity to learn from the bench. Wright's inactivity is a result of the mistakes he made — both careless and aggressive — in the 11 games in which he has appeared. 'One of my coaches said, 'When you put him in the game, both coaches are fearful because we don't know what he's going to do.' I don't know,' Scott said about Wright. 'The other coach doesn't know. He's just still young.'"

Aaron Lopez, Rocky Mountain News: "Healthy for the first time since signing with the Nuggets nearly 18 months ago, Chucky Atkins can't help but feel a little restless. The veteran point guard is buried in Karl's playing rotation, often relegated to extended mop-up duty or spot minutes when the game still has meaning. That's why Atkins perks up when he hears his name has been mentioned in trade talks involving the Orlando Magic. 'It would be perfect for me,' Atkins, an Orlando native, said Sunday. 'It would be an opportunity to play. It's home. I can't turn it down.' Orlando general manager Otis Smith told Florida Today that he has talked to Denver management about Atkins but nothing is imminent as the Magic explores options to add depth at the point."

Michael Wallace, Miami Herald: "With each shot he blocks and every start he makes, Joel Anthony is distancing himself from relative anonymity. Anthony, who joined the Heat last season after he went undrafted out of UNLV in 2007, is expected to make his sixth consecutive start Monday when Charlotte visits AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat is 4-1 and has won three games in a row since Anthony, 6-9, moved into the starting lineup to add more size and frontcourt defensive swagger to complement forwards Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion. While Haslem's consistency, Marion's energy and Wade's MVP-level play have provided a boost, Anthony's emergence also has been a key factor in Miami's recent modest turnaround."

ESPN.com: "The Minnesota Timberwolves are on the brink of firing Randy Wittman after Saturday night's 23-point home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to NBA coaching sources. But Wolves owner Glen Taylor, sources say, wants Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale to agree to take Wittman's place on the bench before going ahead with a coaching change. It would be the NBA's fourth firing already this season, following dismissals in Oklahoma City (P.J. Carlesimo), Washington (Eddie Jordan) and Toronto (Sam Mitchell)."

Ross Siler, Salt Lake Tribune: "The box score wouldn't have suggested it, as Deron Williams finished with 15 points and 15 assists and played 38 minutes in Saturday's loss to Phoenix, but the scene in the locker room afterward served as a reminder. A week-and-a-half after his return from a sprained left ankle, Williams still was walking with a limp after the game. He was able to play through a grueling stretch of four games in five nights, but Williams still is not 100 percent. 'It's been tough,' Williams said. 'It'd be tough anytime, but just coming back and having so many back-to-backs has definitely [taken] its toll. But it's good for me. Hopefully, I can get back in shape faster doing this.'"

Darnell Mayberry, Oklahoman: "Thunder coach Scott Brooks said he will consider the possibility of giving Johan Petro a role in his rotation after the center scored 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting in 19 unexpected minutes Friday against Orlando. Petro, the team’s opening-night starting center, scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting in eight minutes Saturday against Miami. 'It helps when he plays as hard as he did (at Orlando),' Brooks said. 'It’s easy to look at how many points he scored and how well he shot from the field, but the defense is what we need, and that’s what he did. So definitely he’s a guy that we will look at.'"

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times: "Rookie Sun Yue played for the first time this season, checking into Sunday's game with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter and the Lakers ahead, 91-68. He was greeted by a warm ovation but committed three fouls and a turnover in his slightly more than a minute before settling down. Sun scored his first NBA points on a 16-footer with 1:34 to play and added a layup on the next possession, much to the delight of fans. He finished with four points and four fouls. 'It was an auspicious beginning for Sun,' [Phil] Jackson said."

Janny Hu, San Francisco Chronicle: "Ronny Turiaf, named the third captain of the team: 'I was like 'Huh? Really?' It means I can be a little more vocal with the young guys. Now Coach has put the stamp of approval on my voice and I think it'll definitely help. (It's) not going to change who I am, I'm still going to be the same guy. I definitely appreciate that Coach sees some type of leadership, charisma within myself and I feel proud and honored about it. I can relate to some of the younger guys better because I just got out of college three years ago, I'm still a young guy. I can relate to them in a little bit of a different way because Jax has that superstar status that old vet that's won championships. And I'm the type of guy that is just trying to make it and made it by hard work and Jax is the same way. We all bring something different to the table.'"

Related: Suicide lines