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.

Zeller looked to be getting back into the rotation, and Stevens even said he had to get the big man more minutes down the stretch because, from the look of who the C’s might be playing in the postseason, he’d have to play a larger role.

Then he sat out last Sunday’s win over Miami, played 7 1⁄2 minutes in Wednesday’s loss to Milwaukee and was back on the pine all game Friday as the C’s came back to down Orlando, 117-116.

Green went 8:38 against the Magic, hitting 3-of-4 shots and scoring six points, but that was after he’d sat and watched three of the previous five outings.

Rozier stepped in off the bench Friday when Avery Bradley missed another game with a stomach bug. Moving up a rung in the rotation when Jaylen Brown started, he had nine points in 19 minutes — and that rotation could be in play again today against the Knicks as Bradley’s illness kept him off the flight here yesterday.

This came three games after Rozier picked up his sixth DNP of the season by coach’s decision.

Herald: Celtics reserves adapt to inconsistent playing time

This is the hardest thing to do as a basketball player.

Every player wakes up and prepares to play a game. Whatever the game day routine is, these players go through it. They warm up, they get shots up before the game, they get whatever treatment they need to get from the training staff, and then…

… sometimes… they sit.

And no matter how much they are paid, it’s tough being reduced to a spectator in one of the best seats in the house. It’s hard to stay engaged and present in the moment if you’re constantly wondering when the hell you might get a few minutes of playing time.

It’s worse for a guy like Jonas Jerebko, who has always figured heavily into Boston’s plans, to suddenly start getting DNP-CD’s.

And then, just when the WTF thoughts really start banging around in your head, Brad Stevens turns and calls your name.

Oh shit… I’m going in

Stevens has always said he respects the guys who barely play but then perform when called upon the most. Those are the guys who really show their motivation and preparation. From Marcus Smart to James Young, every player on that bench has to be ready to go in when called upon, or else their time in the league will come to an abrupt end.

The Celtics bench has been somewhat erratic, and this has probably played a role. I’m sure Stevens would prefer to have a more set rotation after 1-through-5 but he’s been hampered by a couple of things. First, injuries (and illness) have messed with those rotations. Rozier is getting big minutes some night and DNP”s on others, mostly because of Avery Bradley’s recurring stomach bug (side note: WTF is up with that anyway?). Secondly, the guys on the bench have such specific talents that someone like Jerebko works perfectly against some teams and terribly against others.

All these guys can do is prepare to play and hope they get the minutes. We never know when a guy will go down with an injury, get a few cheap fouls, or just flat-out suck so badly that Stevens needs to go in a different direction. When those things happen, the bench guys need to be prepared to play. You never know, one of those guys might be needed to save the Celtics in a playoff game or two.

Page 2: The playoff picture is snapping into focus:

But with two weeks remaining in the season, it’s hard not to conclude the Charlotte Hornets (35-41) and the Detroit Pistons (35-42) will be left out of the postseason party.

The Hornets hit this final stretch of the season with the toughest remaining schedule (.601) of the teams in the East that are still playoff-eligible. Even with wins in three of their last four games, it’s hard to imagine that they will make up the two-game deficit they face for the eighth spot, especially since they’re facing road games at Oklahoma City, Washington and Milwaukee and a home game against the Celtics, who still have the best record in the East.

As for Detroit, the Pistons are once again one of the big disappointments in the East. They’ve suffered some absolutely heartbreaking losses as part of a current stretch in which they have lost six of their last seven games. And they, too, play one of the toughest remaining schedules (.545), which puts the odds of seeing them somewhere between slim and none.

CSNNE: Playoff field begins to thin

Yesterday on Twitter I started a playoff thread on Twitter yesterday that starts here:

Standings update: WAS lost,TOR won. TOR holds tiebreak so they're 3 now & WAS moves to 4th. I think this is how it will hold pic.twitter.com/JwNKkQ4uo8

— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) April 1, 2017

It lays out all the schedules and scenarios over the final couple of weeks, but I’ll give you the TL/DR version:

The Cavs still have two back-to-backs left with seven games left to play. That means they’re definitely going to rest guys and probably not chase the top seed. From the Cavs perspective, health is of primary importance. They probably feel good about winning on the road anywhere in the NBA so slipping to second and maybe meeting the Celtics in the Conference Finals doesn’t scare them at all.

With that in mind, I fully expect the Cavs to keep LeBron, and maybe Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, at home when they face the Celtics Wednesday. That’s the second night of a home/road back-to-back with another back-to-back looming a few days later. I’d be shocked if they sent a full squad to Boston.

So that, to me, means Boston will hold onto the top seed. At the bottom of the standings, Chicago has a pretty easy schedule and Miami has a tough one. Indy’s is mixed, so I expect them to hold on while I think Miami will fall out of the playoffs and the Bulls will grab 8th.

Chicago won last night so there’s a 3-way tie for 7th, with Indy out currently due to tiebreakers. There are still six games left, but check out the Bulls schedule:

at the bottom, CHI has the easiest remaining schedule:
ATL, @ NOP, @ NYK, PHI, @ BK, ORL, BK

— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) April 1, 2017

They can easily end the season on five-game win streak and storm up to the 7th seed, but because they’re the Bulls I expect some kind of disappointment.

Either way, I think they’re in and Miami’s out. Prepare yourselves for National TV Rondo.

And Finally…

Congrats to the new Hall of Fame class…

Two-time NBA scoring champ Tracy McGrady, ex-UConn women’s star Rebecca Lobo, Kansas men’s coach Bill Self, and former Chicago Bulls executive Jerry Krause are in this year’s 11-person Basketball Hall of Fame class, which was announced Saturday. McGrady was a seven-time All-Star who played 15 years in the league and led the NBA in scoring in 2002-03 and 2003-04 with Orlando. Lobo starred for UConn when it won a national title in 1995 in an undefeated season and also won Olympic gold for Team USA in 1996. Self is one of six coaches to lead three schools to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight and led the Jayhawks to a national title in 2008. Krause, who died last month at age 77, was the general manager during the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty in the 1990s. The others in the class are Notre Dame women’s coach Muffet McGraw; Texas high school coach Robert Hughes; former NCAA executive Tom Jernstedt; Harlem Globetrotters player, owner, and CEO Mannie Jackson; former Globetrotters player Zack Clayton; ex-European star Nikos Galis; and ex-NBA and ABA star George McGinnis

The Basketball Hall of Fame is an interesting place. There’s no doubt, to me, that guys like Zack Clayton need to be recognized. Clayton was on of the world’s first basketball superstars, dominating basketball before the NBA was even born. To casually mention him as “former Globetrotters player” makes people wonder “why are they honoring one of those guys who throws confetti on fans?” But back in the day, the Globetrotters were a legitimate team, barnstorming their way across the country (hence, “Globe-trotters”) and providing an avenue for black players to showcase their skills while the sport was still segregated. Clayton was part of the New York Renaissance (the “Rens”), a team of black players named after the hotel in which they played in Harlem. The team would play a game on the ballroom floor, then the baskets would be cleared out for dinner and dancing.

So for Clayton, this is a true honor that is long overdue. The Hall serves this purpose to educate and make people aware of the pioneers in the sport. They take many forms and come from all parts of the world.

But I wonder… as many often do on days like today… if the NBA should have its own Hall of Fame. Tracy McGrady is a legit Hall of Famer, but should be going in with Bill Self?

Bill Self??

Yeah, OK, Self’s had a nice career at Kansas. He’s won about 83% of the games he’s coached, which is pretty phenomenal. but he’s only been coaching 14 seasons and he’s got ONE National Championship and TWO Final Four appearances. If you want to put him in the Big 12 Hall of Fame right now, sure, knock yourself out. But in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame?? Are you kidding me?

How about letting the guy coach another 10 years and see how he does? Let him finish up his damn career, or at least hit 70 years old.

Self is a good college basketball coach with a great overall record but relatively little to show for it in the grand scheme of things. That’s not a guy who’s ready to share the stage with T-Mac. And if he falls onto hard times at Kansas, then the Jayhawks will have to fire a Hall of Famer. Won’t that be some shit?

The rest of the links

CSNNE: Celtics-Knicks preview: Celtics trying to avoid “trap game”

ESPN Boston: Ranking the top 10 rookies/prospects from the 2016 draft

Herald: Bucks march up the standings after big month

Globe: Clippers give Doc Rivers his 800th win  |  Technically speaking, Isaiah Thomas knows he must do better