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.

Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein has been mentioned by some as a desirable fit in green, though the 7-footer projects into the top 10 and has enough offensive shortcomings to make some Celtics types queasy about his upside.

Above all, though, they need scoring, from any available position, as coach Brad Stevens recently noted.

And “scoring” actually is a term used to describe something especially poignant to Celtics improvement.

“Scoring is just a code word for a good player,” president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. “Finishing is important. That’s someone who is going to help your team.

“Scoring is always a big thing, not the only thing, but end of the game scoring is very important.”

Herald:  Celtics put talent above all needs at combine

I’m just trying to read the tea leaves here, but all I’ve heard out of Danny Ainge’s mouth over the last few months is how much the Celtics need more scoring. So it would seem that the Celtics might not be as high on Willie Cauley-Stein as some of our faithful readers.

Of course, a rim-protector could help facilitate the scoring by forcing bad shots and then rebounding or blocking shots to start breaks. That would help the Celtics score a lot more in transition…

“A rim protector will not take precedence over a better player,” Ainge said. “We need to improve our talent level. It’s not like we’re out there looking for a second baseman or a cornerback. We’re looking for a basketball player who can play both ends of the floor and defend his position.”

Maybe if the Celtics were at, say, 10 instead of 16, and Cauley-Stein was available, they’d take a shot at him. But they’re not, and according to Chad Ford, they’re probably not going to be.  From his chat yesterday (h/t MassLive)

Even with a stockpile of picks, Ainge isn’t going to give up a guy who just had a pretty decent rookie season for an unknown. And yes, he’s an unknown despite everything you’ve seen in college. NBA history is littered with the remnants of big college stars who flamed out at the next level.

Trading up in this year’s draft is the one area where Ainge doesn’t have the ammo. These teams already have a high draft pick this year, they don’t want to just give that up for possible chance at one next year, even if Brooklyn seems to be imploding. What if Brooklyn somehow makes a decent move? What if those guys get healthy? And it’s still the East and no one is changing their team by June, so Nets are still a possible playoff team next year… even if it’s another crappy run to the 8th seed. As we are seeing right now, there’s nothing appealing about a low playoff seed’s draft position… So if the Celtics are going to try to trade up, it’s going to take a player they’re probably unwilling to give up.

So I think it’s time to get Willie Cauley-Stein out of your collective minds and start focusing on other guys who can do other things. Gary Washburn has a rundown of a few names and one name that pops out is the SEC Player of the Year…

Bobby Portis, F/C, Arkansas — You can’t play at Arkansas unless you defend and are a solid athlete, and that covers Portis, who may open some eyes at the Combine because he was somewhat overshadowed in the Southeastern Conference by all the Kentucky players. Portis is more of a perimeter player and not a space-eater in the paint, meaning the Celtics could choose to pass for more of a need.

I disagree with the assertion that Portis’ face up game is a reason to pass on him. I think today’s NBA puts a premium on bigs with face up games, so if Portis can prove he’s a solid scoring big with a perimeter game who can defend at the next level, he’ll be very high on the Celtics’ list at 16.  In fact, that’s where DraftExpress currently has him in their mock draft, and Sherrod Blakely has him as one of the top 5 guys to raise his draft stock over the past season

Of course, It’s still mid-May, and there’s a lot of time for guys to increase or decrease their stock. Regardless, I think the notion of trading up or somehow getting Cauley-Stein is a pipe dream at this point, and it might not even be something the Celtics are even considering.

Related links:  ESPN Boston: Interviews will highlight combine for Celtics

Page 2:  Pierce did it again…. but….

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3GbYhjPsYA]

That was another monster moment in the clutch by Paul Pierce who let the crowd know about it by yelling “series” afterwards.

Problem was… there were 8 seconds left, and… well…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RJM8PhZWpc]

BOX OUT, NENE!!!

So the Hawks are up 3-2 in that series. If Nene had boxed out and prevented what was an excellent hustle play by Al Horford, today would have been Paul Pierce day on every NBA-related show. ANOTHER DAGGER??

Pierce just finds himself in some clutch moments this postseason and he’s delivering on almost all of them.

Golden State also won last night, by the way, to take a 3-2 lead over Memphis.

Related links:  MassLive: Pierce drills another clutch jumper but Horford steals the spotlight  |  SB Nation: Paul Pierce is the NBA’s overlooked legend |  Celtics YouTube page: Team President Rich Gotham speaks on C’s fans, future

The rest of the links:

CSNNE: Former Celtic Perkins involved in domestic incident