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.

“I think the benefit for them is that there’s a continuity there,” former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks said. “They’ve added David and Amir but everything else kind of returns. So there’s a lot of familiarity with that group there. That’s probably going to spring them ahead a little bit. You could see that [in Europe]. Guys like playing with each other, that’s half the battle right there. Everyone knows their roles.”

[…] “I think they can [compete] because they have a lot of depth,” Marks said. “The league is a lot about survival and if you can get to the finish line after 82 games still standing, you’re going to be in pretty good shape when you get into April. I like their depth. They have depth at pretty much every position. I don’t know whether they are going to be at that Cleveland level. [But] you never know what’s going to happen in Chicago. They’re always a wild card.”

Globe: Celtics prepare for life in the deep end

With the Celtics off for a couple of days to recuperate from their trip to Europe, Gary Washburn fills a quiet day by talking to former Nets executive Bobby Marks and getting some really positive words about the Celtics this year.

The Celtics seem to have all the makings of a pretty good regular season team. Brad Stevens has a ton of options at every position with very little drop off with most of the guys. Key players are getting better, the young guys are growing, and everyone is hungry. And, of course, Brad Stevens continues to draw raves (I didn’t quote it, but Marks has glowing comments for him later in that Globe piece).

If the two preseason games in Europe are any indication, the Celtics are at least comfortable with one another on the floor. Yes, the competition wasn’t great, but they still moved the ball well and rarely seemed confused. Those are good signs that the team chemistry on the court is ahead of schedule, and should grow moving forward.

I can see this all translating to a lot of wins this season. My concern about this team as currently constituted is whether they have what it takes to win in the playoffs.

When a guy makes a steal and heads out on the break, you often see opponents back down in the regular season. They’re not going go all-out to stop two points in January. They will, however, go all out to stop two points in April and May. Teams get tougher, they play harder, and they have opportunities to scout and prepare specifically for you for two weeks. By the end, both teams know what plays the other run and they both know the strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. There’s very little to surprise another team with in the playoffs, which is why talent almost always wins.

The Celtics have a lot of good players, and they might win 49 or even 50 games this year if all goes right. But do they have the guy who can take over in a seven-game series? I don’t see it yet, and we’ll have to see if someone like Isaiah Thomas can rise up and be that guy.

But who knows, maybe a relentless swarm of Celtics can overwhelm a couple of teams and wear them down. It’s a new era in the NBA, so maybe this can work better than I think.

Page 2: Jae Crowder’s gonna attack more

If the preseason serves as an indicator of what’s to come, we’ll see it more with his offense in the form of him getting to the free throw line.

Along with shooting the ball better from 3-point range (Crowder shot a career-low 28.2 percent in 57 games with Boston last season), Crowder said he wants to be “more aggressive on the offense end” this season.

“Just not being a jump shooter,” he said. “Drive the ball as well.”

CSNNE: Jae Crowder looks to be more aggressive on offense

As far as I’m concerned, any offense we get out of Crowder is a bonus. But I like the idea of him being more aggressive. There’s no reason for him to be relegated to the corners, especially if he’s only hitting about 30% of those shots.

I think attacking more will fit into the Celtics offense because he can be put out there with better shooters that give him the space to drive. The aggressiveness will force defenders to react to him and make things a little easier for his teammates. If we can get 10-12 points out of Crowder every night, I’ll be happy.

And Finally…

…. Isaiah Thomas is angling for a movie role…

Watching Space Jam right now. If they make a Space Jam2 I have to be the new Muggsy Bogues lol

— Isaiah Thomas (@Isaiah_Thomas) October 10, 2015

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I don’t know Isaiah… do you really think you can compete with this kind of acting?

The bar is high, my friend.

The rest of the links: 

Herald: Ainge recalls bond with Drazen Petrovic  |  Globe: Caron Butler’s new book spins cautionary tale