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.

The team’s announcement that the talented center, the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, will miss yet another year because of improper healing of his navicular bone was followed by a damning Philadelphia Daily News report. According to two sources quoted in the story, Embiid actually refractured the bone somehow, pushing Hinkie’s reviled tanking strategy even further into the murk.

Embiid, Nerlens Noel and that Croatian ghost, Dario Saric, may all be on the cusp of 30 by the time Hinkie’s plan reaches maturity. But as one league source told the Herald last week, any number of teams could have been on the hook for this calamity, including the Celtics.

[…]

“(The Celtics) did have the go-ahead from their medical staff to make that pick,” said the source. “They weren’t going to say no to him.

“He had a lot of little things wrong in his medical report, but nothing that anyone thought was going to get in the way of his career. The problem is that the foot is kind of unpredictable because it has less blood flow. That’s why that kind of injury has hindered a lot of people, like Bill Walton.

“But (the Celtics) medical staff knew there was risk, while also believing that it was an issue they could fix.”

Boston Herald – Sixers’ misstep with Joel Embiid might have been Celtics’

We’re still a year or two away from looking back in the rearview mirror and “re-grading” the 2014 NBA Draft, but an interim assessment lands the Sixers with an F, or an incomplete depending on whom you ask.

I was completely enamored with Embiid during the ’13-14 college basketball season. His freshman campaign coincided with the first year of draft-talk relevancy for Celtics fans since 2006-2007, so I watched the top players with a keen eye. Watching him alter any shot that came his way in the paint on defense, and witnessing his offensive development with each passing game, I had visions of the next Olajuwon growing into a cornerstone center with the Cs.

I can’t even imagine how disappointed I’d be right now if the Cs had snagged him with that sixth pick.

It depends on who you ask around here, but some green-teamers are already fed up with the pace of the Celtics’ rebuild and dubious about the make-up of the roster – a collection of nice players, but no difference makers. Embiid was tabbed as a potential difference maker in 2014 and the Cs won too many games to ensure a chance to draft a potential difference maker this past June. In each of those situations there has been reason for disappointment.

But drafting one of those high upside guys can lead to even greater disappointment when they don’t pan out the way fans hope.

As Cs fans, we get to look forward to year two of Marcus Smart instead of waiting around for year one of Joel Embiid.

On page 2, “I can’t believe the Cs took Rozier instead of…”

It’s been a difficult offseason for the Mavericks but one of management’s best decisions was drafting former Virginia swingman Justin Anderson, who flourished in the summer league, averaging 17.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in six games.

Anderson is a personable, fearless, hard-working player who should fit well in the Dallas culture. The Celtics passed on him to take Louisville guard Terry Rozier, but there was definite interest from Boston. Anderson appears prepared to establish a role as a solid defender and perimeter shooter.

Boston Globe – Anderson making Dallas look good

Tony Parker, Draymond Green, DeAndre Jordan… every fan base does this futile, reflective exercise of looking back on the mid-to-late first or early second round of past drafts and exclaiming, “we could have had that guy!”

KWAPT highlighted Terry Rozier’s work ethic yesterday and he may very well end up forming a dyanmic backcourt duo with Marcus Smart (or help the Cs land their next big star in a trade) and be worth what many considered a reach by Danny Ainge on draft night.

It’s fun to speculate, however, which player(s) we may look back on years from now and wonder how on earth Danny could have let him slip by.

Anderson will be one to watch closely this year in Dallas. He’s a potential three-and-d wing who, like Rozier, showed flashes in summer league. He was in for workouts with the Celtics and, while we may never know if he was considered seriously by Ainge and co., seemed like a pretty solid fit and reasonable pick at 16.

Only time will tell, but Anderson, along with guys like Chicago’s Bobby Portis and Houston’s Sam Dekker will be worth watching closely in the coming years to either affirm Ainge’s Rozier pick, or to induce a feeling of regret for having them in green.

And Finally, Paul Pierce be like… way too fast?

Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) be like… pic.twitter.com/pFnGTUV2ww

— B.A. (@BdotAdot5) July 26, 2015

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Directions: For most realistic viewing experience, slow down clip to 1,000x its current speed. 

The Harden and Westbrook are fantastic. While the exaggerated follow-through and shifty up-fake somewhat mirrors The Truth’s, the dude’s gotta take it down a notch. Paul runs in slow-mo.

(h/t Celtics Blog)