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.

For the third consecutive game, the playoff-charging Celtics essentially had no juice left in their battery. They were getting punched in the mouth by the Los Angeles Clippers and showed no signs of responding, no passion.

It’s a shame too, because for the first 70 games, the Celtics were entertaining and vigorous. But it appears they are on empty. Too many roster changes, a lack of cohesion, perhaps fatigue.

[…]

They had to know the Clippers, who have scored at least 107 points in each of their last six games, would come to Boston with bad intentions in the final game of a three-game trip. They looked at this game as a must-win with Golden State coming to Staples Center on Tuesday and took the assignment seriously.

The Celtics appeared to lose this game before the opening tip. They saw the Clippers’ superstars and were already defeated. They didn’t challenge the Clippers until it was too late, allowing 105 points through three quarters on 55.9 percent shooting and 12 3-pointers

Boston.com – Celtics appear to be running out of steam

Last night, it looked like the Celtics and Clippers play in two completely disparate basketball leagues. In a way, this is true. The Celtics playoff race is being conducted with training wheels while the jockeying for western conference playoff position that the Clippers are involved in is being run on motorcycles.

As we head into a week that will determine the Cs playoff fate, last night’s game, the last against the Western Conference this season, means nothing or it means everything depending on who you ask.

Optimists will opine that the Celtics were never going to win last night’s game. As Washburn observes, the Cs “appeared to lose this game before the opening tip.” The Celts were completely and utterly outclassed at every position on the floor. Constantly a step late on defense and downright timid on offense. No one is mistaking the Celtics for a true contender and last night was simply confirmation of that assumption. The big kids from Los Angeles are racing off down the block, let’s get back to the regularly scheduled program of trying to beat the Hornets and Pacers this week, you know, the other teams riding on training wheels. Win the next two games and no one is thinking about the big kids until the playoffs.

Pessimists will point to the Celtics’ body of work over the last week and a half. What seemed like just an expected blip on the radar when the Cs dropped two games out west to the Thunder and Spurs has devolved into a period of uninspired, languid basketball. Long stretches of bad offense can’t be what have Celtics fans primarily concerned. No one’s mistaking Brad Stevens’ crew as an offensive juggernaut. There will be, and have been struggles on offense all season. What’s been troubling is the lack of fight and spunk that characterized the Cs of February and early March. At the beginning of the month, the Cs hosted a Western Conference behemoth on a Sunday evening at the Garden. No one expected them to win. They didn’t. But they came out on fire and opened up a 26-point lead on the Golden State Warriors. In a season of unexpected success, that’s all fans could ask for.

Last night? They looked like they knew they had no chance. No on expected them to win. They didn’t. But it’s that pervasive attitude that’s spread over the last week and a half, coupled with a lack of talent that was so obviously clear last night, that could spell the Cs doom this week. They can’t fix the latter over night. They better figure out the former on their flight to Charlotte.

On Page 2: Better for the Cs to miss the playoffs?

Brad Stevens will never ever dribble away from something that’s working on a given night and put a unit on the floor that sabotages his club’s chances of winning.

But when the Celts walk off the court in Milwaukee after playing their last regular-season game on April 15 and they look online at the updated Eastern Conference standings, it will be better for the franchise if they’re not occupying one of the first eight positions.

[…]

But while the Bostonians’ inability to be even remotely competitive with one of the better teams in the league means little or nothing in the blindfolded, five-legged race that’s happening at the bottom of the Eastern Conference ladder, it is more than instructive vis a vis the Celts’ proximity to an honest opportunity to win a championship.

Boston Herald – Celtics ultimately better off if they don’t make the playoffs

I painted a bit of a bleak picture on “Page 1″ but I’m here to rebut Steve Bulpett here on Page 2. If we were having this conversation two months ago, and the Cs were equally as close to the bottom of the standings as they were the 8-seed in the playoffs I would have sided with Bulpett. At this point, what does finishing 9th or 10th in the east really solve? There’s no such thing as lottery karma. The ping pong balls aren’t going to reward the Cs with a top three pick just because they tried hard as opposed to tank.

Bulpett argues that playoff experience  doesn’t matter, because many of the guys who would get the experience probably won’t be on the roster if/when the Cs are playing really meaningful playoff games deep into May. Again, so what? If this team is years away from true contention, the number twelve pick won’t make a huge difference. Additionally, some of these guys factor into the Cs long-term future, so giving them a chance to play some national TV games in Cleveland or Atlanta counts for something.

Bulpett is thinking like a calculated GM, but what about thinking like an owner? A few playoff games will go a long way in keeping the positive buzz going about the Celtics. At this point, with the Celtics far away from lottery excitement, it’s time for everyone involved to embrace this thing.

And Finally, The Cs need the real Marcus Smart back this week

Smart played his fewest minutes since Jan. 23, going 0-for-6 from the floor in only 18:22 of the lopsided loss, which looked a little bit better after a late recovery.

Coach Brad Stevens made the decision to sit Smart on the bench, a clear off night for the rookie.

[…]

Smart has struggled offensively since coming back from his suspension. In four games since missing the Detroit loss on March 22, Smart is averaging 3.5 points a game. He was suspended for one game for an apparent low blow to Spurs forward Matt Bonner.

Boston Herald – Marcus smart sits most of Celtics’ shaky outing

Marcus Smart isn’t just a future piece of the Boston Celtics, he’s a huge part of their present playoff push. It’s hard to play with consistent energy and tenacity, Smart’s staples, when lost offensively. Marcus doesn’t look assertive on the floor right now and it’s affecting him everywhere on the court.

It’s possible that he, like many of the Celtics, have just hit the wall. He’s 73 games into his first NBA season. His first time through the ringer. Unlike most playoff contenders, the Celtics need their rookie to do more than just gain experience. He has to be a huge part of the equation for the Celts to get enough wins over these last nine if they want to make the playoffs. Even if the offense doesn’t come back right away, Boston needs his energy on the other end of the floor, and not on the bench.

The Rest of the Links:

CSNNE – After loss to the Clippers, Celtics face big game in Charlotte | Rivers: Celtics are ahead of all other rebuilding teams

Boston Herald – Celtics notebook: Celtics’ prognosis pleases Doc

ESPN Boston – Isaiah Thomas: ‘We gotta punch first’ | Doc is what’s up: Rivers back in Boston

MassLive – Isaiah Thomas would be ‘happy’ with move to Boston Celtics starting lineup | NBA Eastern Conference standings: Boston Celtics fall out of top 8