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.

Before our very eyes, this Celtics team that blew so many opportunities at victory a year ago, is doing a much better job of finding ways to not just compete but also come up with clutch plays when needed.

Finding ways to pull out those kind of games is deeply rooted in learning from close, down-to-the-wire losses.

Other than the home loss to Toronto, Boston’s other two defeats – at Houston and at Dallas – were both games that the Celtics were within striking distance down the stretch but failed to come up with the big stop or shot made that would fully swing the game’s momentum in their favor.

Following those setbacks, the Celtics spent a lot of time breaking those games down in hopes of not repeating the same mistakes they made in those critical, end-of-the-game moments.

“We really go deep into what happened each game,” said Evan Turner who had a team-high 19 points in Saturday’s win over his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls. “We kind of dissect it and it gives us a better chance at success each game.”

CSNNE.com – Suddenly Celtics have late-game options

If winning close games is “deeply rooted” in lessons learned from close losses, then start planning a Duck Boat parade for the 14-15 Boston Celtics. They learned a whole bunch of those lessons last season when they were 14-27 in games decided by seven points or less. Albeit six games is a small sample size, the Celts are currently 2-2 in similarly tight games this season and all four of those games were against playoff teams.

Why the modest, early season success in tight contests? Well, for one, the Celtics are icing games in a multitude of different ways and with a number of different guys.

In Friday’s win over Indiana, free throws by Avery Bradley and Green positioned Boston for the win, and a game-ending steal by Gerald Wallace put the game away.

On Saturday, it was Kelly Olynyk coming up with some late-game rebounds followed by multiple Celtics finally putting the game away with last second free throws and solid play defensively.

Pulling out close games with a balanced attack and attention to detail was a staple of Brad Stevens’ Butler teams. Those teams were often devoid of one stud scorer, yet they rarely did things on the court, late in games, that compromised their chance to win. Save for Marcus Smart’s turnover late in the Toronto game, the Cs have played heady basketball down the stretch and it’s showing up in the win column.

Page 2: Crash course in mentoring

Brad Stevens has singled out Wallace for embracing the mentor’s role in lieu of a more involved role on the floor. The Celtics coach has predicted that Wallace will become one of his “all-time favorites” because of the way he has checked his ego at the door.

But that’s fine with Wallace. It’s like he has a second set of kids in this locker room.

“Absolutely. I talk to ’em and listen to ’em and their situations,” he said. “It’s kind of hard at times, because I know the process they’re in and where they’re going. Depending on how you look at it, sometimes it’s selfish and sometimes not, but everyone is competing and wanting to win. We have to play together as a team, and I think we’re doing a great job of that this year. For me to be able to mentor them is important.”

Boston Herald – Gerald Wallace embraces mentor role

I’m not sure who this says more about: Wallace or Stevens, so let’s praise them both, shall we? First, a lot of respect to Crash, who was finally tasting basketball relevancy in Brooklyn, before being thrown into the trade two summers ago. Celtics fans were taking bets as to when Wallace would mope his way out of town, or undermine Stevens, only six-years his elder. Conversely, Wallace, who is post-knee surgery and clearly not part of Boston’s long-term plans, is demonstrating his ability to be the consummate teammate and big brother to the younger members of this team.

The fact that he’s accepted this role without complaining about it to the media, but instead openly embracing it, speaks volumes about Stevens and his ability to connect and inspire even his veteran players. Pundits figured the 38-year-old Stevens could gain early respect in the NBA because he was coaching a young team that wouldn’t question his decisions. If he had older players who had already earned their stripes in the league, they’d tune him out. Wallace’s words coupled with Stevens’ high praise shows the coach’s ability to connect with and inspire all of his players. Well, except for Keith Bogans. You do you, Keith!

The rest of the links: Boston Globe – Rondo for Kyrie? it may be worth a chat | CSNNE – Celtics cleaning glass |