Your Morning Dump… Where Mike Zarren is a candidate for the Pistons’ GM job

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.

Mike Zarren, the Celtics’ well-respected, numbers-crunching, assistant general manager, is again under consideration for another job.

He is among the early names to surface for the soon-to-be vacant GM job with the Detroit Pistons.

Longtime Pistons GM Joe Dumars will not have his contract renewed this summer as the Pistons failed to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

Zarren, one of the forerunners in the use of analytics in the NBA, was a finalist for the Sixers GM job before pulling out prior to Philadelphia ultimately choosing Sam Hinkie.

CSNNE

I didn’t know much about Mike Zarren when his name surfaced last summer for the Philly job. Zarren gained more prominence this winter for his widely discussed Draft Wheel proposal.

With the success other Ainge lieutenants (Ryan McDonough in Phoenix, Daryl Morey in Houston) are having around the league, one would think Zarren’s days as an underling are coming to a close.

I want him in Boston for one more year. This is a critical off-season for the Celtics and we need all hands (brains) on deck.

On Page 2, Jeff Green plans to return next season with more swagger.

BI: Next season when you come back, what should we expect to see from Jeff Green?
JG: I was talking to Avery (Bradley) about this. I feel like I should come back with a little bit more swagger. Not having an attitude towards people or going out there getting technical fouls, but just having a little swagger to my game. I’m so even keeled that, once again, people take it that I don’t care about situations, but that’s just my demeanor. So Avery was telling me I should have a little swagger. Gerald (Wallace), too. I think that’s probably the biggest thing that I might try to change. I don’t know how it’s going to change overnight, but hopefully.

BI: What do you think swagger would add to your game?
JG: I think it’d just add confidence, continued confidence, for me go out there and just play every night the way I know how to play. Still not care about what people have to say, but they will hate it that much more, which will fuel me a little bit more.

Basketball Insiders (Jess Camerato)

I’d like to believe Jeff Green can gather some swagger over the summer, but I’m not sure it’s possible. We’ve been talking about a personality transplant since he arrived. It’s just not in his DNA.

I was extremely disappointed in Green’s play this year. I subscribed to the theory that more shots and less court time with two future HOFers would equal more production. Instead we got a career low 41% FG and 16.9 ppg.

And finally, the first shots are fired in the Toronto/Brooklyn playoff series.

Oh, snap. Pierce and Garnett may be old, but the Nets also have Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.

I see the Raptors pooping in their pants in 6 games.

The rest of the links:

Herald – Celtics pickin’ their spots | ESPN Boston – Celtics real season begins now | Globe – Q&A with Rondo | CSNNE – Celtics offer advice for draftees coming out early | Blakely’s team report card