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.

 If this season for Boston is truly about evaluating different players in different roles, throwing Johnson in with the first group only makes sense.

In just a short period of time, Johnson has out-played just about every single Celtics player when given a chance to get on the floor.

He runs the floor harder than any of them, Jeff Green included.

Johnson is the only healthy player on this team who can raise up for a 3-point shot and doesn’t get a collective cringe from Celtics Nation on the release.

He’s not Avery Bradley 2.0 defensively, but he fights throw picks as good or better than any of his brethren with guaranteed deals, and for the most part he has done a decent job of keeping guys in front of him.

CSNNE –  Celtics should start Johnson

Blakely has a decent point in this article. Chris Johnson has been with the team for just 11 days so far, but he’s certainly proved himself to be a capable player. The hustle we’ve seen is likely due at least in part to the nature of his contracts (10 day spans to convince coaches and management), though it also just seems like this is the way the guy plays. He’s crazy quick, can knock down threes as well as Jeff Green, and continues to just make smart decisions with the basketball.

If there’s any merit to the murmurs, and Dannt Ainge is looking to trade Jeff Green (and dump Gerald Wallace as well), there really is no harm in giving Johnson a go with the starting five. Maybe that’ll offend Green a little bit, and maybe that’s a good thing. Some healthy competition could benefit all. Regardless of Green’s part in this equation, Johnson’s showing that he’s worthy of a longer contract and a chance to play for the Celtics. With Avery Bradley still out, nows a great time to experiment with the lineup even further. Whether or not he’s cut out to actually be a starter remains to be seen, but the time to see is getting closer and closer.

Page 2:  La La claims Garnett never referenced Honey Nut Cheerios

 Anthony writes in her new book, “The Playbook,” that Garnett never made a reference to cereal when he was talking trash to Anthony.

“I wasn’t ever going to bring up the Honey Nut Cheerios incident again. But since I’m writing this book, I might as well set the record straight for good,” La La writes in the book, according to the New York Post. The book was released Tuesday. “Kevin Garnett in fact had never said that I tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios. I tried to figure out how this big lie was turned into a media firestorm. I still can’t answer that one … Melo and Kevin are cool today. And now it’s nothing but a faint memory.”

ESPN Boston – Garnett didn’t make cereal reference

Well, there you have it. The final verdict on what actually occurred on that cold New York night in early 2013. What was surely thought to be a cold case never to be reopened again — solved suddenly. According to Carmelo’s wife La La (a witness who was definitely not close enough to Garnett and her husband to hear what was actually said) claims that the defendant known on the streets at “Big Ticket” did not, in fact, claim that she tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios. A shocking twist and a ruling that will go down in the books with the likes of the O.J. Simpson trial and the Rick Pitino extortion case. This one can finally be put to rest, guys.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I don’t buy it.

And lastly, Jerryd Bayless came back last night

Bayless jammed his big left toe during the a 93-91 loss to Orlando last Sunday.

Bayless hasn’t shot the ball with much accuracy this season, but he’s at least a threat (see: his 15 fourth-quarter points two weeks ago while almost leading a comeback against Houston). With Avery Bradley hurt and Phil Pressey and Gerald Wallace both playing big roles lately, more perimeter scoring is definitely a good thing.

Masslive – Jerryd Bayless expected back

If you were fortunate enough to miss last night’s game, you probably didn’t catch the return of Jerryd Bayless (who had missed the last few games, if you didn’t notice that either). He shot the ball well enough (4-9, 10 points), and recorded four assists in about 26 minutes on the floor. Not bad, and if he can manage minutes and numbers like that consistently, it’ll help the team find better ways to develop Phil Pressey. Last week, Pressey was starting to show potential, something we didn’t know he had — but that hit a brick wall these past few games. Not needing to rely on him to replace Rondo should hopefully help Brad Stevens develop him with an approach carrying fewer expectations.

The rest of the links:

CSNNE – Stevens: It was a good old fashioned butt kicking

MassLive – Rondo undecided on back-to-back against Sixers | Brad Stevens: Boston Celtics ‘not a very good basketball team’

ESPN Boston – State of the Union: Future focused?

Boston Herald – Doc Rivers enjoys homecoming for Garnett, Pierce