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.

There are some players who enter the NBA and are stars from the moment they step on the floor. With more experienced players ahead of him, Terry Rozier has more work to do. He had to miss that train.

But he believes another is coming along.

“Oh, yeah. I wouldn’t play if I’m not aiming to be a star,” said the Louisville product who got into just 39 games as a Celtics rookie. “That’s the main goal. I want to win.”

[…]

Isaiah Thomas didn’t want to offer a projection.

“I don’t think you can do that with him right now,” Thomas said, “but given opportunity, I think once he gets comfortable, he’s going to be really good.

“He’s quick, athletic — a typical point guard these days that can get into the paint, create for himself and create for others. I think he’s going to be real talented in this league.”

Coach Brad Stevens certainly sees it.

“I just think that he’s got a burst that is pretty unique,” Stevens said. “He’s still learning how to do things, but he’s making good progress, and his attitude’s really good. I mean, he’s a non-stop worker. He wants to be really good, and that’s a great trait for a young guy whose minutes are inconsistent.”

Boston Herald – Celtics’ Terry Rozier eyes next train to success

If fireworks are to happen this off-season and the Celtics are to add a superstar or two, the roster as we know it will have to fundamentally change. If Danny Ainge wants to trade for one superstar in order to lure another in free agency (the old Allen to Garnett campaign of ’07), then some of the building blocks of the last couple years will be shipped out.

I say this all because one of two things is going to happen to Terry Rozier if the Cs roster does indeed go through a transformative off-season: Either Rozier is dealt at some point this summer, or he’s thrust into a far more prominent role on a Celtics team primed to contend for a conference title.

Let’s say it’s the latter. The Cs bring in an all-star player in a trade and ship out one (or more) of Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder and additionally don’t bring back Evan Turner. Terry Rozier would all of a sudden become a rotation player for the Cs. While the selection of Rozier last summer was a head-scratcher to most, maybe Ainge, who loved Rozier’s motor and competitive streak, was picking Rozier knowing that his existing  backcourt depth would be depleted in the chase for stars. RJ Hunter felt like the most logical choice to make a year one impact, as the Cs needed shooting, and Jordan Mickey’s shot-blocking ability had fans clamoring for him throughout the season, but there was a reason Ainge used his first pick on a player whose position felt redundant on the roster.

The easiest comparison to make is with Rajon Rondo. Rondo tantalized as a rookie, but with Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair also on the roster, there was no guarantee Rondo would be the point guard of the future. The Wolves (and I’m assuming the Sonics asked, too) wanted Rondo included in a deal for a star, but Ainge refused, which then thrust Rondo into a prominent role on a contender that no one could have dreamed up the previous year. It’s not  guaranteed that anything close to this will happen for Terry Rozier, and there’s an even lesser chance that he’ll enjoy Rondo’s success, but it’s possible.

As for Rozier the player and his development in year one — there were some obvious rookie lumps, lots of DNPs and some flashes on both ends of the court. His energy cannot be questioned and as he continues to grow, he could turn into quite the two-way player. He has the traits that could turn him into a poor, poor, poor man’s Russell Westbrook, and he just may have the chance to start proving it here next year.

On page 2, more praise for Brad Stevens from a former player

Humphries certainly offered a strong endorsement. He came to the C’s from Brooklyn as part of the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett deal that netted a pack of draft picks, averaging 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in just 19.9 minutes a game.

That was also Stevens’ first season in the NBA, and Humphries, who was then in his 10th pro season, was duly impressed.

“I think that when you can come in in your first year and win over the locker room, that says something,” he said. “You know, guys in the NBA are smart players and they understand when someone knows what they’re talking about and when they don’t. And he had our respect from the start there.

Herald – Kris Humphries a quick fan of Celtics’ Brad Stevens

Remember how downright miserable Kris Humphries looked during his introductory press conference in the summer of 2013? I remember thinking right then and there that the baby-faced Brad Stevens would have a mountain to climb in gaining the respect of his players, especially the vets dealt from Brooklyn.

Count Humphries as yet another example of an early Stevens convert. Good thing Hump is tight with Kevin Durant, right?!?!

And finally, the Raptors finally win a playoff series

This time, Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri saved his best one-liner, which of course featured an expletive, for the end of the series.

“Where’s that f—ing monkey?” a euphoric Ujiri exclaimed repeatedly outside the team’s locker room.

After nearly 15 years, the monkey is finally off of the organization’s back. For the first time since May 4, 2001 — a span of 5,476 days — the Raptors have advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs.

“There’s no hiding it,” Kyle Lowry told ESPN.com. “It was one of those wins where, if we had lost this game, the season would’ve been a failure. It’s kind of harsh to say that, but if we had lost this game, it would’ve been the end of the season. The pressure of the first round is off of us.”

The Indiana Pacers took Toronto to the limit in Game 7 on Sunday at Air Canada Centre, and the Raptors nearly blew a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead before hanging on to win 89-84 and avoid a third consecutive first-round exit as the favored team.

ESPN – Raptors finally get the monkey off their back, advance to round 2

Make no mistake about it — this would have been an epic failure for the Toronto Raptors’ franchise, one that Dwayne Casey would not have survived. The Raps did everything to blow this one and did not look impressive, really, at any point in their first round series against the seven-seeded Pacers.

A healthy Celtics team is probably still the third best team in the east, which makes you wonder if Jae Crowder doesn’t get hurt, could seeding have pushed this team into favorable position for the Eastern Conference Finals? Sigh.

The rest of the links: ESPN – Injury gave Kelly Olynyk’s season the cold shoulder