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.

After Marcus Smart asked out of practice early Wednesday, he decided to skip the Celtics’ brief workout Thursday, delaying the rookie guard’s return to the lineup.

Coach Brad Stevens said Smart won’t play Friday against the Bulls but would not rule out a Sunday return against the Spurs. Smart has been out since spraining his left ankle Nov. 7.
Smart was expected to miss three weeks but Stevens would like to see him participate in a full practice before clearing him.

“I think our training staff felt like he was good to try and good to see where he’s at and he didn’t feel comfortable with where he was at,” Stevens said. “I think we’ll reevaluate it every day. It’s very unlikely I would play him [Friday] even if he woke up feeling great because he hasn’t practiced the last few days.”

The Celtics will practice Saturday, giving Smart another opportunity to work out before the Spurs game.

“By no means is he determined out for Sunday,” Stevens said.

Boston Globe – Marcus Smart’s return is delayed by balky ankle

Before people get all riled up over Smart’s delayed return from a sprained ankle, keep in mind that it’s much better for Smart and the team to take their time.  There is no need to rush him back, especially given the overall picture.  The Celtics are not in the same boat as say the Thunder, who might actually rush Durant and Westbrook back simply because the compeition out west is too strong for them to fall too far behind and miss the playoffs.  The Celtics are not contenders and aren’t really a serious playoff threat… yet.

The bigger picture is making sure Smart takes his time and is ready.  His game is revolved around his exceptional defense, and you can’t have bad wheels and play the defense he’s expected to.  Even when he does return he’ll need some games to get in the flow.  We’re all eager to see him return, and it will be sooner rather than later.

Page 2: Celtics and Bruins switch it up on Black Friday

The Celtics and Bruins faithful realize that Friday will be dramatically different from the usual day after Thanksgiving around here.

Traditionally, both teams play at TD Garden on this day, with the Bruins occupying the afternoon slot and the Celtics taking the night game.
Not this year.

The Celtics will host the Chicago Bulls at 1 p.m., and the Bruins will host the Winnipeg Jets at 7, a switch that was prompted by the NHL’s decision to move the Rangers-Flyers game to 1 p.m. for a national television slot on NBC.

The NHL did not want the Bruins playing in an afternoon window opposite Rangers-Flyers, so the Bruins, who own the Garden, asked the Celtics to switch.

“We went back to the NBA and said, ‘Hey, can we make the switch?’ and they said, ‘No problem,’ ” said Celtics chief marketing offer Shawn Sullivan. “That’s actually a very strong start time for us.”

Boston Globe – Freaky Friday at Garden: Celtics and Bruins switch

I can’t recall the last time this actually happened.  It’s likely happened more recently than I remember, but for the longest time the Bruins played the matinee on Black Friday while the C’s played at night.  Either way as fans it just means those who have tickets have to get a day off from work (if they didn’t already) to catch the C’s at 1.  The C’s defeated the Bulls a couple of weeks ago in Chicago, which is rare in of itself, but it was done without Rondo or Smart.  The Bulls were missing Rose and nearly pulled out a comeback win behind Aaron Brooks.  So far, it looks like we’ll finally see the first Rondo-Rose matchup since 2012.

And Finally, C’s have had 3rd toughest schedule thus far

If you define “toughest schedule” simply by “average winning percentage of opponents played” then the Celtics have had the 3rd toughest schedule thus far, with opponents clocking in at a .562 rate.  The two teams with toughest schedules thus far by that metric? The Lakers (.657) and the Kings (.630).  This is by no means meant to make excuses for the Celtics, but it is an important note when assessing them after this first month.  That percentage will rise by playing the Bulls today and Spurs on Sunday to close out the month of November.

The rest of the links:

Boston Herald – With pieces in place, Celtics need a star 

CSNNE – Celtics rookie Smart won’t play Friday against Bulls

Instagram – Bulls have a ping-pong tournament in Boston