Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your stale Sir Grapefellow.

Real GM / Marc J. Spears, Boston Globe: "An NBA source claims that the Heat have placed forward Shawn Marion on the block as they struggle out of the gate. Marion, who is making $17.8 million in the final year of his contract, was rumored to be a trading chip this offseason."

David Moore, Dallas Morning News: "Maybe you've noticed coach Rick Carlisle bark out plays from the bench in recent weeks. Perhaps you've detected a team that broke training camp with no half-court sets seems to be running quite a few lately. If these developments have flown under your radar, I'm sure this has captured your attention. The Mavericks have won more games than they did to start the season. Motion plays a bigger role in this offense than it did the last two seasons. The players do have more freedom. But it does not rise to the level of creative madness that guard Jason Terry once predicted would be unleashed. The Princeton offense has come and gone. The idea that the Mavericks would generate the majority of their shots out of movement instead of sets has been scrapped."

Vince Ellis, Detroit Free-Press: "Though [coach Curry] didn't single out starting small forward Tayshaun Prince, it was obvious he wasn't pleased with Prince's performance. The Pistons were outscored by 23 points with Prince on the court, and he didn't even play in the fourth quarter [...] When asked about his decision to leave Prince on the bench, Curry simply said: 'Tay didn't play well tonight.' That was news to Prince, who expressed disbelief when told about Curry's comments. 'Huh?' said Prince, who scored 10 points on 4-for-8 shooting in 22 minutes. 'Wow, I thought I was playing pretty good if you ask me. ... I don't know. It's up to them to see what's going on, and I guess their decision was to sit me down. I was playing well.'"

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald: "Though he’s only in his third NBA season, Rajon Rondo has learned to catalogue his teammates. Even on the Cadillac of a team he now runs, the point guard understands many are willing to take the last shot, but only a few are worthy. And none, as recent history has shown, are more worthy than Paul Pierce in the last four minutes of a game. Ray Allen certainly comes close, especially from deep. But the Celtics team captain has a truly rare ability — not just a desire — once the clock becomes a factor. 'Gimme the ball,' Rondo said in an attempt to describe Pierce’s late-game aura. 'He just has it. Everyone wants the ball, but not everyone can get it and do what they want with it. He just plays that way. As long as I’ve known him, he’s always been calm in those situations.'"

Dave D'Alessandro, The Star-Ledger: "Sean Williams was essentially put on notice Sunday night: He was getting one last crack at the backup center job, before his coach was going to give Stromile Swift a more prolonged look there. Lawrence Frank didn't exactly put it in those terms, but when your backup center has had only one good game out of the last five, you start looking for an upgrade. 'I'm going to give Sean another chance at it, and we'll let their play determine,' Frank said. Williams has almost as many fouls (23) as rebounds (26) in his 127 floor minutes this season. Swift, meanwhile, had instant impact in his debut at Utah Saturday night, after being out for six weeks with a back injury: He produced three points and five boards in nine minutes, and made a huge block on Andrei Kirilenko."

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News: "Guard J.R. Smith, who recently has been benched and barely played in another game, wants to talk with Karl, but he isn't optimistic. 'We never talk. ... You never want to not even talk to your coach,' he said of their relationship. Smith said Karl didn't talk to him after his benching Wednesday for being late for practice or after he played only seven minutes Saturday. Karl wouldn't discuss Saturday, saying, 'I'll let you interpret that one.' Karl said Smith sometimes doesn't have a 'positive, good attitude.' 'He's going to think what he wants to think,' Smith said. Smith disagreed with Karl calling him 'extremely late' to the practice. 'It was only five minutes (late),' Smith said. 'He's always going to say something like that.'"

Chris McCoskey, Detroit News: "This is not the same Allen Iverson people around here are used to seeing. Missing layups, missing short open jumpers, driving but not getting all the way to the basket, seemingly lost on defense — this is not the same guy who routinely torched the Pistons when he played for the 76ers. And Iverson is the first to admit it. 'My rhythm is just not there,' said Iverson, who missed seven of nine shots and scored nine points in the Pistons' 96-85 loss to the Trail Blazers on Sunday. 'It's kind of a different situation for me. I'm finally sitting more than I usually do. This is the most I sat down (during games) in my whole career and my rhythm isn't there where I want it to be.'"

Sekou Smith, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Hawks forward Josh Smith had designs on an early return from the 12-game layoff caused by the high left ankle sprain he suffered Nov. 7 against Toronto. He wanted to play against Washington on Saturday night at Verizon Center but said others decided that he should wait until Wednesday’s home game against Memphis. 'I’m ready to go right now,' Smith said before Saturday’s game. 'But if the guys that know [the Hawks’ athletic training staff] think I should wait a couple more games, I have to go with it.' The Hawks are undefeated (4-0) with Smith and close to .500 ball without Smith, going 5-6 in the 11 games before Saturday night. They’ve missed his athleticism, energy and shot-blocking prowess on defense during this stretch."

Steve Adamek, Bergen Record: "With the Knicks on the verge of cutting bait with Stephon Marbury, perhaps as soon as today, Tim Thomas won't say he has sympathy for his former and current teammate. But the Paterson Catholic product admits he understands what it's like to be a pariah, having spent more than half a season 'with' the Bulls in a similar situation after the Knicks dealt him to Chicago three years ago in the Eddy Curry deal. 'It's tough going through that,' he said. 'The biggest thing with him is, at least he knows what's going on. I didn't have a clue about what the [Bulls were] doing, what direction they were going, none of that.'"

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