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

“Listen, the guys prepare to win and they know they’re not one of the elite teams in the league, and yet our guys believe that they can win any night,” Ainge said before the game. “Our coaches prepare to win every game and our coaches play to win every game, and we’ve lost some tough ones this year that hurt, so it’s good to get some close ones in our favor.”

Perhaps the most critical thing the younger Celtics are learning is winning away from TD Garden. They are 7-15 on the road, compared with 9-32 last season.

“That’s a process, you just can’t decide you’re going to do it,” Ainge said. “Winning in the NBA is tough, but winning on the road is very tough.”

Globe: Ainge says Celtics are playing to win

The key with Danny Ainge is listening to every word he says.

The guys prepare to win.

Our coaches prepare to win.

I, on the other hand…….

With no collective “we” in there, Ainge is obviously dancing around praise for his team and their surprising .500 trip out West, and his office’s duty to construct a contending team down the road. Unless the Celtics get Durant and Harden at the trade deadline, it’s pretty obvious that even if this team takes advantage of the shitty East to make it to the 8th seed, they’re pretty much just extending their regular season by a few games.

But don’t get me wrong, I can see the merit in a playoff run. I know everyone is enamored with Okafor and ping pong balls, but putting Stevens and staff through a playoff series so they, and some key young players, get an early taste of what that’s like won’t hurt this team at all. In fact, I’d rather them get a taste and flounder now than do it in a year or two when we expect them to advance a couple of rounds.

Trust me, I’m not discounting the importance of the draft, nor the skills Okafor possesses. I think he’s really talented and he has the potential to become a franchise-changing player. But the pursuit of a single player like that in a lottery system can really screw your team up for years if you do it the wrong way.

I’d rather Ainge do what he does… which certainly isn’t focused on winning now… and let the chips fall where they may. If Tayshaun Prince and Ainge are playing chicken with each other, then one of them is going to blink in the next couple of weeks. Bass and Thornton are what they are, and Ainge isn’t going to keep a single one of them simply because the guys in the locker room are trying to win games.

They SHOULD try to win games. After all this, it’s a great sign that Stevens and crew are getting them to win games. But Ainge sure as hell isn’t.

Related links:  CSNNE:  Despite loss to TWolves, Celtics show growth  |  Mass Live: Celtics successful West Coast Trip: pros and cons

Page 2: Smart doesn’t care about the Rising Stars Challenge

Smart didn’t get chosen, though some feel he should have made it into the game. Utah’s Trey Burke, Detroit’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Philadelphia’s Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel, Minnesota’s Zach LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad, Orlando’s Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, Brooklyn’s Mason Plumlee and Charlotte’s Cody Zeller made the cut.

“I feel bad any time somebody feels like that, if they are close to an honor like that,” said Stevens. “But in all sincerity, I don’t really care about subjective voting, and I hate voting for it myself. I understand why we have the All-Star Game. I understand the celebration that is the weekend. I understand the fan interaction that is a huge part of it, and I’m happy that we have it and glad we have it. But from a big picture standpoint, the honors that you get as a 20-year-old, you know, you’ve got a long life to live after that.”

Said Smart, “No, I’m not bummed. Hey, congratulations to those guys that made it, but I’m definitely not bummed. That’s just more time to rest my ankle and rest my body for the second half of the season.”

Herald: Olynyk might not be up for Rising Stars Challenge

I’m not going to go into any statistical analysis about why Smart should have been in over Trey Burke or Zach LaVine, because I don’t give a shit either.

Like Stevens said, it’s nice to be recognized, but it’s really no big deal. No one keeps track of your Rising Stars Challenge appearances. There’s no contract bonus. It’s just an All Star game for young guys… or to put it in more accurate terms… it’s a promotional event by the NBA to get casual fans to maybe learn a few names of up-and-coming talent. It’s a chance for the non-League Pass set to maybe look beyond their borders for 5 minutes.

So those people don’t get to figure out who Marcus Smart is just yet. He’ll take advantage of it to get healthy, and maybe tuck it away as motivation to make a real All Star game next season.

Related links:  ESPN Boston: Olynyk on World roster  |  Boston.com: Olynyk picked to play in Rising Stars Challenge

And Finally….

Kyrie Irving dropped a double nickle last night, thanks in part to 11 of 19 shooting from 3 (and also in part by being guarded by Damian Lillard).

Some big scoring nights lately in the NBA. Some great individual performances.

The rest of the links:

Herald:  Kevin Love worth waiting for  |  Celtics offer little defense  |  Globe: Celtics can’t get past TWolves  |  ESPN Boston: No charity for Celtics  |  Wolves 110, Celtics 98: Tripped up  |  CSNNE:  Turner ‘trying to push through’ with thumb injury   |  WEEI: 5 things we learned as road trip ends with loss