Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your O.J. At least for now. We'll see how long this lasts.

Jeff Rabjohns, Indianapolis Star: "Danny Granger, who on Friday signed a five-year contract extension worth between $60 million and $64 million, is leading the Pacers with 26.5 points per game. He said he'll be ready for Wednesday's home game against Phoenix. Granger hit the floor face first when he went for a steal against Paul Pierce and Pierce landed on him. 'As professional athletes, we've bled throughout our careers,' he said. 'We've broken bones, torn ligaments, busted teeth. It's part of the game. It's kind of fun when you do it, and you actually win.' Granger's refusal to leave the game after the collision impressed his teammates and coaches. He made the play with the Pacers ahead by 16 in the fourth quarter. He stayed in the game."

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune: "... three-guard [Bulls] lineups wouldn't be necessary if somebody hadn't kidnapped Luol Deng. Yes, Deng started and played 26 minutes. But the fifth-year forward clearly is struggling to adapt to a new offensive system, missing all eight of his shots and making one fourth-quarter free throw. Deng didn't play the final 10 minutes 7 seconds. 'We need him to get going,' coach Vinny Del Negro said. 'He hasn't been able to get into rhythm, and then he starts forcing things. He's way too good a player for his offense not to come around.'"

Dave D'Alessandro, The Star-Ledger: "Their campaign strategy is to sell hope, which is pretty much what every young NBA team does these days. And by now, it is clear that the Nets have some: It surfaces nearly every time Brook Lopez touches the ball. The rookie center is years away from being all he can be, but through two measly games, the Nets have already seen enough offensive snippets that make you go, 'whoa.' But now, as he enters into his first professional encounter against two guys he is intimately familiar with — one he knows as a fan, the other he knows as mirror image — he has one description for it: 'Really weird,' said Lopez, who matches up with the great Shaquille O'Neal and his twin brother Robin Tuesday night when Phoenix visits Izod Center. 'Guarding a Hall of Fame center, and then Robin. Different ends of the spectrum there.'"

Chris McCosky, Detroit News: "Even with the distraction, the Pistons put forth their cleanest effort of the season. They shot 50 percent and made 18 turnovers. 'It was a tough day,' coach Michael Curry said. 'To lose your captain and one of your emotional leaders and for the guys to gather themselves and play the way they did — we're proud of them. That's what we expect. When you put that uniform on, regardless of what else is going on, we've got to play.' Clearly, the Pistons veterans were shocked by the trade. Richard Hamilton, Billups' All-Star backcourt mate who led the Pistons with 19 points, wouldn't talk to the media. When asked if he was sad, shocked or hurt by the trade, Tayshaun Prince said, 'Everything all into one. I can't even explain it. I won't even try to explain it.'"

Yahoo! Sports/AP: "The Detroit Pistons kept one All-Star guard under contract for years to come on the same day they sent one packing. Richard Hamilton and the Pistons have agreed to a three-year contract extension worth about $34 million, a basketball official told The Associated Press on Monday night. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced, said two years of the contract are guaranteed and the third is partially guaranteed."

Garrett W. Hylton, Miami Herald: "Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said forward Shawn Marion did not practice Monday because he was being fitted with a mask to protect his broken nose. [...] Marion was in attendance for the Heat's film session Monday. Spoelstra is hopeful Marion will play Wednesday against Philadelphia. 'I think once we figure out how the mask fits and how he can take contact we'll move on from there,' Spoelstra said. 'But he's in good spirits. He doesn't have a black eye yet.'"

Tim Kawakami, Talking Points: "There’s a point guard on the Warriors roster who has 400 career assists in two NBA seasons, which is many, many more than the two point guards Don Nelson is currently using. The point guard with all the assists: Marcus Williams, who, if my NBA.com boxscore is correct, was healthy but INACTIVE in tonight’s very bad Warriors loss in Memphis. And Rob Kurz was ACTIVE, taking Williams’ place on the bench. Sheesh. [...] Listen, I know Nelson can’t stand Williams and he wouldn’t have played him even if Williams was dressed and all 11 other active Warriors simultaneously came down with temporary blindness. And I’m not saying that Williams is any great shakes–I think he’s better than Nelson thinks he is, but I was so-so on the Williams trade last summer and I’m not waving pom-poms for him now. Still ... The Warriors had only 15 assists tonight against a horrendous Grizzlies team. That ought not to be. The Warriors scored 12 points in the fourth quarter–against a horrendous Grizzlies team."

Mike Ganter, Toronto Sun: "Riding the high of a 3-0 start, not even the mention of that dirty word "rebounding" can get a rise out of Sam Mitchell these days. Sure, the team was hearing about the one major flaw in its play thus far — it ranks dead last in the league in rebounding — from Mitchell and his coaching staff yesterday on its first day back at practice, but even Mitchell is having a problem being too hard on his team. 'Obviously the guys feel good,' Mitchell began. 'We got some work done today. We still have a lot to clean up. Our rebounding is something we continue to talk about. Something we have to get better at.' The reason Mitchell wasn't going too hard on his rebounding demands is that when he looked past the naked numbers, it really had not hurt the club."

Sam Amick, Sac Bee: "They can lose and still win, and that's the worst part about these Kings so far. Not many teams get that off-the-hook distinction, but they are among the few. Especially on the road for a season-opening four-game road trip, especially without their starting center and their sixth man, and especially with so much youth being integrated in such significant ways so early on. But they're doing more than losing. They're losing bad. The 20-point average margin of defeat in the 0-4 start doesn't tell the story, especially in the 125-91 loss to the Sixers. They trailed by 40 points in the fourth quarter, and it takes all kinds of haplessness to make that happen. In 16 quarters of play, the Kings have won just two (and one shouldn't count since it was the fourth quarter against Miami in which they trailed by 31 points after three quarters). They have yet to lead after the first quarter. Most likely, their 111.8 points per game allowed will be worst in the league by the time the beans are counted this morning and their 52.2 percent opponents' field-goal percentage will be pretty close to the bottom too."

Mark Hale, New York Post: "With Stephon Marbury's situation continuing to crawl along, The Post has learned the inactive point guard is planning to seek the Players' Association's help in guiding him through this saga. Marbury hasn't played a minute in the New York Knicks ' three games this season, and he's been inactive for the last two. He met with Knicks president Donnie Walsh yesterday, but it was a quick conversation in which no decision was revealed about his status. While coach Mike D'Antoni wants Marbury waived, Walsh seemed less than supportive yesterday and appears confused about why D'Antoni has placed Marbury in exile. Walsh, who admitted on Sunday that he was caught off guard when he saw Marbury wasn't playing on opening night, said yesterday his hope was to 'resolve the issue, if there are issues.'"

Toronto Star: "Chris Bosh's fast start to the regular season has earned him player-of-the-week honours in the NBA's Eastern Conference. The 24-year-old power forward averaged 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists as the Raps opened the season with three straight wins. Bosh has now won the conference player of the week six times in his career. Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets was the Western Conference player of the week."

Broderick Turner, LA Times: "Perhaps Lakers center Andrew Bynum is wondering why his luck has been so tested after signing a contract extension. His latest mishap was suffering a strained right rotator cuff injury during practice today. Although the team listed Bynum as day to day, he said he will play when the Lakers are host to the Clippers on Wednesday night at Staples Center. Bynum injured the shoulder while trying to block Chris Mihm's attempted dunk and the two collided while airborne. Bynum said his arm was yanked back. 'It's just a little tight,' Bynum said."

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