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.

Let’s preface this by saying that the good has far outweighed the bad when it comes to individual performance this season for Green. There’s really only one eyesore — the difference in the Celtics’ team production when Green is on the floor and when he’s off it. The Celtics have been remarkably better without Green this season, continuing a career-long trend in which his teams simply tend to perform better without him.

What’s staggering about this season is the disparity in the numbers given the quality of his play. When Green is off the floor, the Celtics own an offensive rating of 106.5, which is 3.3 points better than the team’s season average and 4.6 points better than when Green is on the court. What’s more, Boston’s defensive rating is 100.6 without Green, or 4.8 points below the team’s season average and 6 points below when Green is on the court.

[…] To put it another way, the numbers suggest that the Celtics are 10 points better per 100 possessions when Green is off the court than on it. It’s hard to understand how exactly the team numbers can reflect so poorly when Green appears to be playing better from an individual perspective.

ESPN Boston: Green’s success isn’t translating

There is little doubt right now that Jeff Green is having the best individual season of his career.  The on/off numbers, though, are a bit surprising.

When you look at Boston’s best 5-man lineup, Green and the rest of the now-regular starters (which means I’m including Tyler Zeller) are easily ahead of any other with a +45.  Green, Zeller, Jared Sullinger, and Avery Bradley make up Boston’s best 4-man unit at +49, just ahead of the 4-man unit where Green is replaced by Rondo.

Some combination of starters leads all of the +/- ratings of these units, and that includes Green.  I know +/- is a far from perfect metric, but it at least shows that something could be amiss with the other numbers.

Remember, Green is generally on the floor late in games when the Celtics have been generally coughing up leads.  Meanwhile, the second unit just padded its stats pretty nicely against Washington, while Green only got back into the game when the comeback was complete and the game was neck-and-neck. Which is to say that while the numbers say one thing, it’s very possible that Green’s on/off numbers are being skewed by some really crazy events this season.

But, if you read that link, you’ll see other starters’ numbers aren’t similarly thrown off.  So maybe there is something more meaningful to be pulled out of Chris Forsberg’s analysis.

As always, it’s so hard to figure out Jeff Green. Even when he’s doing well and performing rather consistently, there’s something else there.

Not that we have to worry about this long.  If he keeps this up, he’s definitely opting out of his deal.  He might opt out even if he doesn’t. But there’s no way a nearly 20 ppg guy will sit back and just accept $9 million.  Not in this NBA. Not with the money being thrown around (and about to be).

So let’s not get too caught up in his success or failure here.  I doubt Green is part of the Celtics future plans.

Page 2:  Smart realizes that was just one game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As Celtics fans wait to see what Marcus Smart can do for an encore tonight against the Hornets, it’s a good sign that the rookie’s 23-point breakout in Washington on Monday didn’t leave him with an inflated head.

“No,” said Smart, who is still shaking off the effects of a sprained left ankle. “Not at all. Back to being humble. That was just one game. That’s what it is. We’ve still got to come back and play (tonight).”

Herald: Smart won’t bask in afterglow

Lost in all of the furor of the Smart-fueled comeback is the fact that the Celtics still lost the game, partially because of a couple of Smart’s own decisions.

Like, with the Celtics up two in the second overtime, with the ball and :53 on the clock, Smart took the inbounds pass and heaved a 3 with :22 on the shot clock rather than work the ball, wear Washington down even further, and get a better shot.

Like I said yesterday, Smart’s performance in that game was brilliant, but he’s still prone to hero ball, which can be a bit frustrating for a guy who is shooting 34.5% on the season and 27.8% from 3.  As the usual suspects cried out how the Wizards game was the turning point for the Celtics in the Smart/Rondo saga, they missed out on two key things:

1:  Smart wasn’t really running the point. Even Turner was.  Smart came in for Avery Bradley and played the typical Bradley role of ball-hawking defender and off-the-ball scorer.

2:  Smart’s 7-14 shooting night (including 4-8 from deep) is an aberration from his usual shooting this season.

This doesn’t diminish what he did in the Washington game. This supports what he said afterwards.

“That was just one game.”

The Celtics have to go back out there and play Charlotte tonight. Smart has to go out there and do it again tonight.  And the next night.  And the next night.  Everyone does.

As much as some people might want to, Marcus Smart’s not getting caught up in what happened in Washington.  If the Celtics lose winnable games this month and Smart starts missing shots, that performance will largely be forgotten by Christmas.  This is a “what have you done for me lately” world… and there’s a lot of things still left to do this season that could completely re-shape, or reinforce, how we look back on the events of Monday night.

Related links:  Globe:  Benching Rondo, starters, the right call  |  CSNNE:  Will controversy erupt over Smart-for-Rondo switch

The rest of the links:

CSNNE:  Report: Nets explore dealing All Stars  |  ESPN Boston:  Doc Rivers executive order in LA  |  Nets exploring potential blockbusters  |  WEEI:  Potential Rondo trade barometer v4.0