Your Morning Dump… Where the wait for Isaiah continues at least for tonight

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.

Brad Stevens told reporters Tuesday in San Antonio that Isaiah Thomas will miss his fourth straight game on Wednesday night against the Spurs due to a groin injury. The Celtics have gone 1-2 without the 5-foot-9 guard since he suffered the groin ailment in the final moments of a loss to the Houston Rockets back on Dec. 5.

Thomas was optimistic about rejoining his teammates during the team’s current road trip after receiving a plasma injection last Wednesday, but Stevens indicated to reporters on Tuesday that the return timetable has been pushed back.

“I want to play but they keep telling me no,” Thomas said last Friday. “They keep wanting to be very patient with this because they don’t want to re-injure it. It’s an injury that can get re-injured and be a problem the rest of the season. So I don’t want that. And on top of that it gives me time to heal all the other injuries I have.”

CBS Boston – Isaiah Thomas Out Wednesday Vs. Spurs, Hopes To Return Friday

There seems to be no let-up from injuries this season. In 16 of the 24 games so far, the Celtics were without one or more of Crowder, Horford, Thomas, Smart and Olynyk. Each has missed at least three games. Obviously, this has hindered cohesiveness.

The loss of IT has been especially harmful in the fourth quarters of the past two games, both losses, so someone needs to fill his role as the closer. Here’s one suggestion:

This team honestly needs more from Horford, and while he is admittedly uncomfortable playing outside his comfort zone — meaning he enjoys being unselfish, getting teammates involved, and making the right basketball play — in this NBA, ball hogs get it done down the stretch. So without Thomas, and sometimes even with Thomas, Horford needs to be more selfish.

Globe – Al Horford needs to step up for Celtics

Tonight in San Antonio, the Cs will need more not just from Horford, but from the entire lineup. Dating back to 2012, the Celtics have lost 10 straight to the Spurs, including a meeting in Boston a couple of weeks ago. (By the way, Brad Stevens is 0-7 versus his pal, Gregg Popovich.) Breaking that streak without their leading scorer is going to be a huge challenge for the men in green.

On Page 2: Hate to say it, but we need to remain patient

If there’s one thing all Celtics fans know, it’s that the current roster is not yet getting the job done. Preseason forecasts widely predicted 50-plus wins, but right now the 13-11 record is a pace that would yield only 44 wins, or four fewer than last season. This is because of injuries, not enough size, inconsistent play – the list goes on.

We’ve long had high hopes for a trade that would bring the Cs to the next level, but all the salary cap rules make that difficult to achieve. These two articles give solid insights into the obstacles Danny Ainge is facing.

First and foremost, remember that the Celtics value flexibility above all else in their current state. Until they are legitimate championship contenders, don’t expect them to sacrifice future flexibility for a few wins in a 2016-17 season dominated by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.

With that in mind, the Dec. 15 CBA deadline takes on new importance. The Celtics aren’t likely to make much of a deal at all if it’s uncertain how it will affect their flexibility in the future. If they don’t have an accurate salary cap estimate moving forward (and it’s a good bet the estimate will be shaky for a little while — the 2017 cap estimate already fell from $107 million to a more damaging $102 million before an agreement has even been reached), it’s a good bet that Danny Ainge will be very hesitant to make a big move. […]

Again, if the Celtics want to make a move (i.e. to add more defensive rebounding, which, yes, they almost certainly would like to), flexibility will come into play. Ainge won’t want to make a mid-sized move in early January if there is a chance it will prevent the Celtics from matching salaries in a trade for a superstar at the deadline. That leaves the Celtics with a week-long window approaching: After Dec. 15, they will know what the CBA’s status is, and whether they feel like they can make a move before Dec. 23, the artificial deadline before the trade deadline date.

MassLive – Boston Celtics salary: How impending CBA deadlines could affect potential blockbuster trades

Yahoo Sports’ Chris Mannix on the Toucher and Rich Show in Boston spoke on the subject of what Boston is looking for and made it clear there’s no deal imminent, because no stars are on the market … yet.

“Unless you’re getting exciting for Shabazz Muhammad in Minnesota, there isn’t a big name available,” Mannix says. He adds that no one is looking to deal a star right now, and that the market won’t heat up until closer to the trade deadline.

This is a predictable element in NBA front office mechanics. Executives that have a star player know that the minute they deal that player, their chances of being a good team diminish considerably, and by extension, their odds of retaining their job go down the drain. Very few GMs remain two years after trading the biggest star on the team. So they hold out to the last minute, hoping the market builds on itself and one team gets desperate and makes a ridiculous offer which pushes an even better one from the team that’s been after him for so long, and so forth. Delay as long as possible in the hopes a windfall offer comes through.

CBS Sports – The Celtics are still looking to make the big trade, and time’s running out

If those facts hold true, then it’s unlikely Boston will acquire anyone other than perhaps a short-term fix for the rebounding woes. It’s difficult to say this, because we’ve been waiting a long time for the move that will make the Celtics a legitimate contender, but it appears we need to continue to be patient. And patience is not the strong suit of the Boston sports fan.

On Page 3: Listen to Tommy

New @TheVertical Podcast: Tommy Heinsohn on Red, Russell and 60 years with the Celtics. Oh, and referees, too. Link: https://t.co/ytqMlOWt7M

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) December 13, 2016

With his six decades as a player, coach, and broadcaster, no one has been more closely associated with the Boston Celtics than the great Tommy Heinsohn. While many of today’s NBA fans know him only as the biggest homer on League Pass – which he is – Tommy is much more than that. He’s one of the pioneers who made the league what it is today, and it’s fair to say that the Celtics would not have become a legendary franchise without his contributions.

This podcast features Tommy’s wide-ranging observations about his lifelong involvement with the Celtics, including his complex relationship with Red Auerbach, the greatness of Bill Russell, life in the early NBA, his coaching experiences, and why Rick Pitino failed in Boston. It’s worth a listen.

On Page 4: Not getting your money’s worth

With Kyrie Irving sitting out to get some rest, the Cavs built a 22-point lead in the first half and ended the Grizzlies’ six-game winning streak.

Following the game, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue opened his news conference by announcing that James, Love and Irving will stay home when the Cavs travel to Memphis on Wednesday.

“They’re not going,” Lue said before telling one surprised reporter to close his mouth.

Lue didn’t want James, who traveled to New York on Monday night to accept the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award, playing in the quirky back-to-back, and Love could use a break because of tightness in his back. Irving complained of “heavy legs” in Saturday’s win over Charlotte and will have a full week off before the Cavs host the Lakers on Saturday.

“It’s a long season and we have opportunities,” James said of Lue’s decision to keep Cleveland’s “Big 3” behind. “Coach has looked at it and he’s going to do what’s in his best judgment for our team going into the future. It’s his call.” […]

Memphis rested center Marc Gasol for the first of back-to-back games against the defending NBA champions, but the 7-foot-1 star is expected to play Wednesday.

Associated Press – Cavs Top Grizzlies; Will Rest ‘Big 3’ In Rematch Wednesday (h/t @AusCelticsFan)

Absolutely, coaches can and should decide what’s best for their teams and utilize their players accordingly. But with that said, what about the fans? They pay a lot of good money to attend NBA games, and they definitely want to watch the stars play. Yet, the people who go to tonight’s game in Memphis will see essentially a preseason lineup for Cleveland. The Cavs will be playing only their 24th game, but LeBron will be taking his second night off this season. How is that fair to the paying customers? And Grizzlies fans probably aren’t happy about resting Gasol last night and therefore conceding any chance to win.

Whenever I hear about players resting, especially so early in the season, I think of Bill Russell, who averaged 42.7 minutes per game in his final season. He played in 77 games and missed five due to injuries. Then, at age 35, Russell averaged 46.1 minutes over 18 playoff games and capped it off by being on the court for all 336 minutes (48 x 7 games) in the 1969 Finals (which the Celtics won).

Those Russell facts might be a “get off my lawn” take to some fans, but probably not to those in Memphis tonight.

And, finally: Plays of the Week

Check out this week's edition of Top 5 Plays as the Celtics faced the Magic, Raptors and Thunder. https://t.co/OJ5C4UxYla

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 13, 2016