Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“Well, I don’t think Jeff will be a focal point of our team this year,” president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. “I don’t think we have a player who’s a focal point of our team, especially with Rondo out. I think that we have to do it collectively. If we expect Jeff to be the focal point and to turn into Kevin Durant or LeBron James or even Paul Pierce, I think that we’re putting unrealistic expectations on him.”

But what about those games — the 31 points Green threw in against the Suns in Phoenix last season, the 43 he dropped on the Miami Heat, the back-to-back 27s against the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks? And the game-winning trey at the buzzer in Miami this season?

“I think Jeff is a complete player who can defend and pass and score,” Ainge said, “but, no, I don’t think Jeff is one of those guys who’s going to get you 25 a game. He may be a go-to guy some nights, but I think we’re going to be more of an equal-opportunity basketball team than we are a team that’s built around one or two players like we have in the past.”

Herald: Maybe Jeff Green’s not the right man for the job

It’s hard to say whether this is a refreshingly honest dose of reality and team assessment from the man who constructed this basketball team, or if it’s an attempt to piss Jeff Green off and get him to play mad.

Because let’s face it, Jeff Green is Bruce Banner.  He is, often times, just a regular guy out there, doing regular guy things.  But then something gets him mad, and then it’s GREEN SMASH!!

We want him to go all Hulk all the time, but he’s just not that guy.  He’s Bruce.  He likes being Bruce.  Bruce is a nice guy.  You want your daughter to date Bruce.  You trust Bruce to come over and keep your wife company because he’s too nice to try anything.

That’s who Jeff Green is.  We can wish for him to be more, but this is who he is.  Every so often, and maybe even for long stretches at a time over the course of multiple games, the Hulk comes out, and we’ll love watching that unfold on the court. But he’ll always be Bruce in the end.

Page 2:  The Celtics WOULD take A’mare, but not for Rondo

The New York Knicks continue to dangle Iman Shumpert in trade talks, including a recent proposal to the Celtics that would send the third-year guard and Amar’e Stoudemire to Boston in an effort to obtain star point guard Rajon Rondo, league sources confirmed Sunday.

The Celtics, though, have yet to show interest in the deal, instead preferring to unload forward Gerald Wallace in a trade, sources said.

The Knicks have inquired about Rondo in trade talks before, but both times the Celtics made it clear they were not interested in trading him.

Rondo currently remains sidelined while recovering from February ACL surgery.

Sources did say the Celtics would be willing to take on Stoudemire’s contract if they could unload some of their longer deals, namely those of Wallace and Courtney Lee

ESPN New York: Knicks still exploring Shumpert deal

First of all, the Knicks are already in panic mode and are trying to do whatever they can to get out from under shitty deals they’ve made in the past.

I know… what’s new?

Secondly, the effort to trade Shumpert is a personal vendetta by owner James Dolan that started when Shumpert refused to play in Summer League.  Shumpert’s not an all-world player, but he’s a very good complementary player along the lines of Avery Bradley, and he is still a great value at $6.3 million over the next two seasons.

We know what happens when bad owners have personal vendettas against players in panic situations: stupid trades.

Enter Danny Ainge, who is perfectly willing to be the guy who fleeces the Knicks.  Yes, it would mean taking on one year of Stoudemire at $23 million, but it could mean shedding a similar amount of money that would be tied up longer-term in multiple players.

And if you get Shumpert back, then you’ve got two Avery Bradley types that can play on the floor together and guard opposing 2’s and 3’s and teaming up with Rajon Rondo in what could be one of the most amazing 1-through-3 combos we’ve ever seen.

To paraphrase Christopher Wallace, though, this is all a dream.  There’s very little chance the Celtics could manage a deal that would screw Dolan and work out to our benefit.  The good news is that the Celtics have no appetite for moving Rondo in a deal like this.  Teams will probably come calling, but unless the Celtics can get the world for Rondo, you can probably forget anything like that happening.

Now… let’s just kick back and watch the Knicks do something incredibly dumb.

(h/t Mass Live)

Related links:  CSNNE:  Rondo to Knicks?  Not for that package  |  WEEI:  Knicks reportedly pursuing Rondo, Celtics not interested

And Finally…

If you’re not watching the Golden State Warriors… you should be.  They are absolutely the most fun team to watch in the NBA right now.

The rest of the links:

CSNNE:  Buckley: Danny put together too good a team  |  Celtics defense becoming big concern  |  ESPN Boston:  An almost– and unsettled– reunion  |  #Chargewatch: Wallace takes early lead |  Avery Bradley atones with offense  |  Bradley Diary:  Changes and new identities