The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Paul Pierce wasn't dunking against Toronto, but he still found a way to contribute to the Celtic win. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Jessica Camerato, WEEI – Tony Allen: “‘Oh it was big [to have Paul Pierce sit on the bench with the team]. He’s a motivator. With a guy with that much success individually, you can’t do anything but listen to a guy like that who’s been in the league over 10 years. So I’m looking at it as like, if you can be on the road with us more, just being around being an extra coach, then it’s all good. But we definitely need him back, definitely. … He was just telling me to just stay solid. He told me, get those guys open but stay aggressive. Take what the defense gave me, basic coach stuff. But he’s got that offensive mentality, so he was saying take it to the hole when I can, too. … Six years with that guy, he’s like a big brother to me. But I’m just waiting for him to come back. I want him to take his time but I’m definitely waiting for him to come back.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “But make no mistake. [Tony] Allen’s contributions since returning to the lineup during a Dec. 8 win over the Milwaukee Bucks are opening eyes. ‘Tony played great starting at the point guard,’ said guard Ray Allen. ‘He’s got great confidence right now. (It’s difficult to get noticed) on a team of our caliber, with the players we have on this team. (But) the stuff he’s done over the last three years in practice have made me better, and made Paul better. I always look forward to seeing these guys in the game because they do work so hard. These are the moments. You don’t wish for anyone to get injured, but this allows you to step up. You get opportunities.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “While there’s little doubt about Hudson’s ability to play in the NBA, his play on Saturday left plenty of room for improvement. Celtics head coach Doc Rivers thought Hudson played well overall but added, “he scared the hell out of me. He’s got to value the ball better.’ Despite limited minutes, Hudson still managed to turn the ball over twice. ‘Lester is still in that home run stage, as most young guys are,’ said Rivers, a former NBA point guard for 13 seasons . ‘Most passes are home run passes instead of just making the simple next pass. That’s where we have to get him to.’ Keeping turnovers to a minimum is a concern for all NBA teams. But it takes on even greater importance for defensive-minded teams like the Celtics. ‘By nature, most young guys, they don’t have value of how important that basketball is, especially when you’re a defensive team,’ Rivers said. ‘You work your butt off to get that ball. The last thing you want to do is give back to them.’”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “Giddens, a binge scorer in college at New Mexico, scored 2 points Saturday night, and he passed up shots he would have taken a few years back. But it was in the interest of earning that trust, which requires him to make strong decisions – for instance gathering a lob pass and turning it into a layup rather than trying to grab it in the air and turn it into an alley-oop. In turn, Rivers said he wants Giddens to look for his shot more. ‘J.R.’s going to be more aggressive the next game,’ Rivers said.’I thought he had some shots. He got to the point, ‘Am I making a mistake?’ I told him, ‘The mistake is not shooting.’ Because he’s a good shooter and I thought he had a couple of them.’”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter