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.

So many uncertain futures.

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “But as the disappointment settled in from Thursday night’s Game 7 loss to the Lakers, most of these players weren’t thinking about themselves. Almost to a man, they have quaffed Doc Rivers’ Ubuntu Kool-Aid for the last three years, and the possibility that their great motivator may now be stepping down with a year left on his contract is a painful thought. Though Rivers said he wasn’t ready to deal with the issue following the game – the loss to the Lakers was still far too fresh and numbing – he can count on a lot of calls over the next month while he retreats to Orlando. ‘Doc’s everything – everything,’ Kevin Garnett said. ‘It’s going to be a rough one.’ ‘I think everyone wants him back – that’s not even an issue,” said Garnett. “It’s just a matter of whether Doc wants to come back and whatever decision he sees fit to make for him and his family.’ ‘It’s tough. I can’t reflect on it right now,” said Rivers. “Probably in a week or so I’ll go hide somewhere for a while. But it was the craziest, most emotional group I’ve ever coached in my life. I told them that they made me reach places I never thought I needed to go – had to go. But through it all, we were the tightest, most emotional, crazy group that I’ve ever been with in my life. So that’s what makes it tough. I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I’m going to wait. I’m going to go and watch my kids play AAU basketball. Just wait a little bit.’”

Chris Mannix, SI – “Things don’t have to change. Rivers could be back. Top assistant Tom Thibodeau, who will be on the Bulls’ sideline next season, will need to be replaced, but there is growing support within the organization for the candidacy of ex-Nets coach Lawrence Frank, a Thibodeau-like workaholic who is respected by both Rivers and Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, to fill his seat on the bench. After the game, Rivers made his opening pitch for the players to return, reminding them that the ’08 championship team — the one with a healthy Perkins — had still yet to have a true chance to defend its title.”

Ian Thomsen, SI – “They’ve known all season that coach Doc Rivers may not return — my hunch is he won’t be back — but now comes a potential curveball from Phoenix. Doesn’t it make sense for the Suns to make a run at Celtics general manager Danny Ainge? His family was living happily in Phoenix before his 2003 move to Boston, and Ainge has done everything the Celtics could ask while winning a 17th championship and reaching the Finals twice in three years. With GM Steve Kerr and his lead assistant, David Griffin, announcing this week their decision to leave Phoenix, owner Robert Sarver will be looking for a new administration. People in the league expect Ainge to be at the top of his list now that the Celtics’ season is done. Ainge played for the Suns and then coached them for three seasons through 1999, and he would provide the franchise with a successful link to its traditions of winning with up-tempo play. Ainge is one of the top GMs in the league, with a longstanding record of finding talent in the draft, as well as showing no fear in making big trades. He remains under contract with Boston, so if Sarver is interested, he will have to go through the Celtics’ ownership group led by Wyc Grousbeck.”

Bob Ryan, Boston Globe – “Now let it be said that some among us — OK, me — were less enthusiastic about instant championship possibilities than others. I looked at the remainder of the roster and declared it to be the worst 4-12 in the league, a judgment that proved to be about as prescient as Dan Duquette’s proclamation that the 1996 Roger Clemens was in the twilight of his career. Please. At times you’ve got to man up and admit you’re wrong. I did like Rajon Rondo, but could never have projected his quick ascent to stardom in his second year in the league. I was totally wrong about Perkins, who looked like a career backup to me. But I will say I made that judgment before Danny Ainge signed Eddie House, James Posey, or, for the stretch drive, P.J. Brown. Absent any of them, the team would not have won. But the Celtics did win. They provided fans with one of the great start-to-finish experiences of their lives, going 66-16 in the regular season and then concluding the season with a 131-92 conquest of the hated Lakers. I can tell you for sure that no other Celtics team in my experience ever put the pedal to the metal on Day 1 without ever taking it off until the final buzzer of the final game. In that regard, the 2007-08 Celtics stand apart. Really. Need we say any more? They delivered. They ended a 22-year championship drought, and they did so by giving their fans the closest thing to a perfect season imaginable. A fandom cannot ask more than to see a team give them a nightly home show in the regular season before doing whatever it takes to get through the two-month grind of the playoffs. That’s the complete package.”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “‘I’ll deal with that when the time comes,’ Allen said when asked about his pending free agency. ‘But it’s obvious I don’t want to be nowhere else.’ Asked whether the Celtics could push for another title, he said, “I believe Kevin [Garnett] will be healthier next year. We go a lot around what he does and Paul [Pierce] is going to be better and just more experienced. As guys get older the efficiency goes up. I don’t see why [we can’t be back].’ ‘If Pierce does not exercise his early termination option and returns at $21 million next season, the Celtics will remain over the salary cap, meaning Ainge will have to use creative financing to replenish the roster. He still has a mid-level exception and both Allens’ Bird Rights. The free agency pool will be full of capable players. There was a reason Ainge had a wry smile on his face Thursday night, because he realizes the run is not over.”

Chad Finn, Boston Globe – “Trades or no trades, it’s going to be different around here next year. Ray Allen may not be back, and maybe that’s just as well. His defensive effort on Kobe was noble. But his beautiful, deadly jump shot, the main reason he will be feted in Springfield someday, suddenly had the look and effect of Tony Allen’s last night. If just two more had dropped . . . Paul Pierce can opt out of his deal, and with the uncertain labor situation, it might be the prudent thing to do, at least in his agent’s mind. Rasheed Wallace, who played his best when it mattered the most, just as he told his would in the midst of his 82-game paid holiday, might retire, and I sincerely hope he does not, something I could not have imagined writing six weeks ago. The man knows how to play intelligent, efficient basketball. And when he chooses to, he is a marvel to watch, with his high-arcing bank shots and sack of sneaky defensive tricks, including the old Rick Mahorn deception of pulling away when an offensive player tries to lean on him, sometimes leading to an embarrassing fall to the floor, a turnover, and a good laugh. And there’s the coach, Doc Rivers. I’ve written this before, but it bears repeating given that last night’s postgame press conference, during which he spoke of his team emotionally and in the past tense, certainly felt like an exit interview. He is the perfect coach for this proud bunch, shrewd enough with the Xs and Os, always on point when delivering a message (‘keep being aggressive’ and ‘trust each other, don’t be a hero’ were two of his spot-on go-to pleas last night), and an absolutely gifted and genuine people person.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN – “Pierce clearly didn’t want any reminders of what had just occurred. But he wasn’t particularly keen on looking toward the future quite yet, either. Asked about next season and the early contract termination option he holds, Pierce remained noncommittal about whether he’d definitely be back. ‘Man, stuff’s going so fast, truthfully, I don’t really know what to think right now,’ said Pierce. ‘I’m just reeling from this loss. I’m going to sit down with my family, wind down a little bit, then figure it out.’ It’s hard to imagine Pierce not finishing his career in a Celtics uniform, but it’s clear that he’s going to take a wait-and-see approach to the process, watching how the first dominos fall before making a decision. Pierce’s uncertainty highlights an offseason of questions for the entire Celtics organization. At the onset, it appears that everyone is waiting for the first shoe to drop, then things will trickle down from there.”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald – “A lot of people who don’t know as much as they profess to know about basketball owe Doc Rivers an apology. There have been few better coaching jobs than the one Rivers did this season with his too old, too young, too often injured Celtics [team stats], marshaling their energy through a 27-27 finish so as to pose them for a remarkable run through the playoffs. While they came up short of a second NBA title in three years, he showed an acute understanding of his team and how to match it up against four of the best players and three of the best teams in the NBA. Rivers did much the same the previous two years when he led the Celtics to an NBA title and Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, respectively. To put it simplest, when Rivers had enough players to be competitive, he made his team the most competitive one in basketball. Thursday night, with his center in street clothes because of a knee injury, Rivers mixed and matched what he had left brilliantly and, along with “defensive coordinator” Tom Thibodeau, put together an inspired effort that left the Lakers shooting 32.5 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc.”

K.C. Johnson, Chicago Tribune – “Eighteen days after accepting the Bulls’ three-year, $6.5 million offer to become the 18th coach in franchise history, Tom Thibodeau will be introduced to the media Wednesday morning at the Berto Center. Roughly 33 hours later, the Bulls could be announcing the 17th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft. And in less than two weeks, LeBron James headlines the greatest free-agent class in league history on July 1. Ready for a busy Bulls summer?”

Steve Buckley, Boston Herald – “Don’t take the bait, Boston sports fans. Don’t look for silver linings because silver linings are for suckers. And do not, under any circumstance, rationalize the Celtics’ loss to the Lakers by accepting the lovely consolation prize of how these have been grand times for a sports fan here. Once you accept yesterday’s success as a cure-all for today’s failure, that’s when complacency sets in. If the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics decide to go the Bruin Way – not knowing or not caring about how to win a championship – that’s when the Duck Boats never again will be used for anything other than to haul tourists from the Back Bay to the Old North Church. A little more than two years ago, when the Patriots’ bid for an undefeated season crash-landed against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, it mattered not one bit that three Super Bowl banners already were on display at Gillette Stadium. See, in a big league sports city that’s the way it’s supposed to be. It explains why Yankees fans were boiling over from 2001-08, and why Steelers fans don’t fluff off a postseason defeat by telling stories about the Terry Bradshaw years. In a true big league sports city, there is, or should be, an annual mandate to win. It was a good sign, then, when Celtics general manager Danny Ainge made it known minutes after the Game 7 loss that he was livid about what he had just seen.”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “But the fact is the Celtics and Lakers were tied at 64 with 6:13 remaining in Game 7. If the C’s were a little better in those final six minutes, they’d be raising Banner 18 to the Garden rafters next opening night. Of course, the Lakers managed to make the necessary plays down the stretch in Game 7 to claim the title and revenge for their loss in the 2008 Finals. In a series decided by such a slim margin there were a lot of little reasons the Celtics weren’t able to prevail. Here is a look at five main reasons the Celtics came up short:”

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

Kobe stopper? I think not. But TA has done a great job on Kobe nonetheless.

Tony Allen wants to re-sign with the Boston Celtics after the season is over, but hasn’t spoken to the Celtics about whether they reciprocate his interest. (NBA FanHouse)

“I want to be here,” said the reserve guard who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. “This is definitely where I want to be. Hands down … My first negotiations are definitely going to be with the Celtics.” [...]

“They haven’t said anything to me yet,” Allen said of a possible re-signing. “But I’m sure they know that I want to be here.”

The weird thing? I actually hope the Celtics can keep TA around.

This time last year, I was watching the goddamn Lakers beat the Magic and wishing the C’s would either cut TA or find a new procedure to increase his basketball IQ to six times its natural size. Now, TA’s a solid contributor in the NBA Finals and a big reason Kobe Bryant has been slowed down. If you could have predicted that turnaround, please give me a call and tell me next week’s winning Lotto numbers.

TA also seems to have a great attitude about his role on the team.

“I’m just basically still using that same work ethic James Posey showed when he was here, that same preparation and focus that James Posey showed when he was there,” Allen said. “I’m just trying to carry that out.” [...]

“Had I been anywhere else just trying to get my stats or my numbers up or whatever, I’d be at home right now,” said Allen, realizing he might not now be in the NBA Finals had he sought to bolt to another team when he was a restricted free agent in 2008, and signed a two-year, $5 million deal with Boston. “Right now, I’d be in Cancun or the Bahamas or somewhere with my feet kicked up. But right now I’m still playing a game I truly love.”

I guess TA’s play isn’t the only place where he shows maturation.

Oh Doyel. Doyel, Doyel, Doyel.

There are many reasons you can choose the Lakers to beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals. There’s that whole “they have Kobe Bryant” thing, or the “they’re the defending champs” thing, or the “they’re impossibly long and talented” thing. Somewhere near the bottom of that list is “Paul Pierce can’t guard Kobe Bryant.” (Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports)

The Lakers will beat the Celtics.

Because Paul Pierce has to guard Kobe Bryant. [...]

But Rivers can’t win the 2010 NBA Finals — like he won the 2008 NBA Finals, against these same Lakers — because Paul Pierce still has to guard Kobe Bryant.

And Pierce can’t do it.

Not like he did it in 2008, when Pierce hounded Bryant into the most ineffective 25.7 ppg you’ll ever see. Bryant scored his points, but he shot just 40.5 percent from the floor to do it. Shoot as often as Bryant does, and 40.5-percent shooting kills your team.

Meanwhile, at the offensive end, Pierce still had enough gas in the tank to average 21.9 ppg in the 2008 NBA Finals. Even guarding Bryant, as tiring as that was, Pierce was fresh enough to score effectively. And he had help, too. Ray Allen averaged 21.3 ppg in those NBA Finals. Kevin Garnett averaged 18.2 ppg and 13 rebounds. That was too much for the Lakers to overcome.

But none of that will happen this time, because all of the key figures have gotten older, and slower. Except for Bryant. He’s just as good as he ever was, and in these playoffs he has been, impossibly, even better.

These are the times when it really bothers me that people like Gregg Doyel make a lot of money writing about sports while I write for nothing but pennies and the joy of seeing people admire one of my articles. I mean I’m sure this guy Doyel is a lot better writer than I am; I’m sure he’s got a hell of a lot better resume than I do too; but does he even watch basketball or know anything about the sport?

The main problem with Doyel’s piece is that Pierce won’t even spend the majority of his time guarding Bryant. He might match up against him in end-of-game situations (as he did in 2008), but Pierce has never been Bryant’s primary defender. In 2008, Ray Allen spent most of the time guarding Kobe. It wasn’t Pierce. And James Posey, whenever he was in the game, defended Kobe too. Sure, Pierce guarded him sometimes and especially in clutch situations, but it was Allen and Posey who had the assignment for the most part. (For the record, Pierce did a great job on Kobe when he played him. Sorry Gregg.)

And this year? Pierce will almost undoubtedly spend most of his time staring Ron Artest in the face, not Kobe. Artest, at 6’7″ and 260 lbs., is far too physical for Ray Allen to even think about defending. So it’ll almost certainly be Ray, not Paul, who will be sticking Kobe for the most part. Just like it was most of the time in 2008, when, dare I mention, Kobe bombed and the Celtics ended the Lakers’ season in six games.

If you listen to Gregg Doyel, Pierce’s inability to defend Kobe is the reason the Celtics will lose to the Lakers. Even if Pierce were going to defend Kobe most of the time (and I’d bet my left nipple he won’t), I’ve got news for Gregg: No man alive can defend Kobe. Not by himself, at least. It takes an entire team defense, which is why the Celtics were so successful in limiting Kobe in ’08 and why they were so successful in limiting Lebron this postseason.

Look, I’m not saying the Celtics will lock down Kobe or even hold him to the relatively meager stats he posted in 2008. Kobe is playing like basketball royalty, hitting head-scratching shots left and right. It will be tough to contain him and impossible to stop him — I know that. But to say that the biggest reason the Celtics will lose to the Lakers is that Paul Pierce can’t defend Kobe Bryant is foolish on so many levels. Tell me the Lakers will win because Phil Jackson is their head coach, or because they have homecourt advantage, or because they have the game’s best closer. Just don’t tell me they’ll win because somebody who will rarely guard Kobe Bryant can’t guard him. Especially when said Kobe defender normally does a very good job on the Black Mamba.

Doyel went on to say that even if Pierce (or, in reality, Allen) can somehow manage to stop Kobe, the Lakers have other scoring options. Fair enough, they do. I won’t argue that. But Doyel continues to note that the Lakers also have somebody, in Ron Artest, who can lock down the opponent’s best player. Now don’t think I’m conceding that Doyle’s right on this point — I think Pierce will still be productive against Ron, even though it won’t be as easy as it was against Orlando — but for the sake of argument let’s just say he nailed it and Artest completely locks Pierce down. Don’t the other Celtics have scoring punch too, just like Doyel said the other Lakers do in case Kobe gets stopped? Don’t Allen-Garnett-Rondo have as much scoring prowess as Gasol-Bynum-Artest-Odom? Don’t they? Won’t some Celtics step up, even if Pierce has a bad series? Isn’t that something that’s comparable between the two teams, rather than one of the main differences that will let LA win the series? (The questions are rhetorical so I won’t answer them, but the Celtics haven’t had the same leading scorer in back-to-back games once since the playoffs started, setting an NBA record. Thought that deserved mentioning.)

I’m not saying that it’s idiotic to say the Celtics will lose to the Lakers. Far from it — these teams are as evenly matched as teams get, so the Celtics could certainly lose. I’m just saying Doyel’s reasoning could stand a whole lot of improvement. And that I am still deeply upset that people get paid to write columns like Doyel’s while I — someone who has actually watched games, every Celtics game and as many other games as I can get to — toil away in my basement hoping to get discovered by some fool who will actually pay me to write about sports.

P.S. I still haven’t even mentioned the worst line of Doyel’s column: “Rondo has become a better player, but he’s not that much better. Don’t buy into the hype.”

Please, someone tie my hands behind my back so I can’t type my response to the Rondo quote. Please, I’m begging. I’d rather not waste another hour and a half responding to another stupid point from some idiot’s half-assed column.

"Defend me? Child, please."

Doc Rivers told WEEI how the Celtics will try to defend Lebron James.  Key word, try.

Rivers gave some insight into how the C’s and other teams attempt to limit James’ impact. “One is if you can force him to his left, you’d like to do that, even though he goes both ways pretty well,” Rivers said. “Two is give him a cushion. And three is if you can force him into being a jump shooter. That’s so much easier said than done. He understands that what teams are trying to do, and he won’t have it for the most part. He’ll still put the ball on the floor.

“As far as guarding him, you can just name [the C's defenders]. Marquis [Daniels] will get a chance, Tony [Allen] will get a chance, Paul [Pierce] will get a chance, Hopefully, no more than those three.”

I’m not sure how well Tony Allen can stay with Lebron.  Actually I’m not sure how any human being can stay with Lebron, but T.A. is only 6’4″ tall and 213 pounds.  That means he’s giving up four inches and about 50 or 60 pounds to his Royal Highness.

And Marquis?  While his physical traits point to Marquis being a better matchup for Lebron than T.A., Marquis has played with negative confidence for the last half a season.  Doc says Marquis will get his chance, but he’ll have to play with more confidence than he has for a long time.

When Paul Pierce goes to the bench or simply needs a breather from guarding the fastest train in NBA history, and Boston has to turn to someone else to defend Lebron, they will really miss James Posey.  The man was invaluable because he could defend a number of positions and did as good a job on Lebron as any backup in the league.

Doc on how Rasheed can make an impact

“Three things: He has to be better defensively for us, especially vs. the pick and roll. Offensively he has to be a low-post presence. And then he does have to knock down a couple of shots, because that will spread their defense.”

So, umm, basically, don’t expect to see Rasheed to have an impact.

Doc on Patriot draft pick Brandon Spikes going out with his daughter

“My boys got a lot of pleasure out of that the first time Brandon came over to the house, because I’m always intimidating my daughter’s boyfriends but I was saying, ‘Yes, sir,’ to him.”

Doc doesn’t have to be so polite.  With Spikes’ weak 4.95 40 time — Doc would probably be able to outrun the hard-hitting son-of-a-bitch.

It was Game One with the Heat and the Celtics. Some people vote for the Heat. Some for the C’s. Most people expected this: Dwyane Wade vs. Paul Pierce, who comes out on top?

That’s definitely and totally not the case here.

The Celtics had this with them: they are gonna dominate your freaking ass! They know about the comments and the criticism people have been lashing at them throughout the regulars season.

We heard them:

“They’re getting old, they’re getting slow, they’re just not what they used to be, they only had one good season: 2008.”

Now Boston is going to shut all of y’all up. Shut you up good. I believe in them. Sure, the stats don’t show as much in the regular season. But after what the C’s displayed during Game One, they mean business.

Especially since it’s the postseason.

This is when they mean business. Though Kevin Garnett will be suspended for Game Two, he showed heart. He won’t back down. He will do everything get in your face, get you pissed, make you feel intimidated.

Make you feel that you already lost this battle.

He showed that in Game One. He has it in him. He wants another ring, and bad. He’s not like those other guys who don’t mind if they don’t win another championship since they already got one before.

He will keep climbing on for more.

Rajon Rondo will keep being himself as a top point guard. Paul Pierce will continue with driving down the lane for breaking layups, big shots, dunks, etc. Ray Allen will be the sharpshooter and can make a difference during the postseason.

Garnett will be the key of all of this. And plus, don’t forget the X-Factor: Tony Allen. He killed it in Game One. He can continue to do that. He’s underrated, and that’s what you want. People won’t expect it, but when it’s playing time, they will see it: “Goddamn, where the hell did this guy come from?”

It was just like Mike Singletary last year in College Basketball with Texas Tech. Nobody knew who he was, until that amazing performance. What did he score, like over 45 points or something? But at one point, he hit 28 straight points I believe. None of them missed. All in a row.

And now it’s Tony Allen’s time. Time to bring his name up.

James Posey helped big for the C’s during the 2008 Playoffs. Now it’s time for Allen in the ‘10 Playoffs. It just fits.

The Celtics won’t back down. I expect them to dominate Miami. I can see Boston easily in the Eastern Conference Finals. But can they show their greatness there to reach the big show?

Can they return as champions like two years ago?

We’ll find out.

But right now, don’t underestimate this team.

We’re looking at a really hungry Celtics team here, my friends.

Be creative, Doc. Please.

A J.R. Smith three-pointer went through the hoop at the third quarter buzzer, and a 20-6 run was complete.  Just like that, the Denver Nuggets had cut a 21-point lead to seven.

They’d done it with the help of Dick Bavetta and his crew, an increased intensity, and — above all — the presence of a small lineup featuring Carmelo Anthony at the four.  That lineup was inserted into the game when the C’s had a 19-point lead, with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter.  A big run later, the aforementioned J.R. Swish three gave the Nuggets a little hope.

But they shouldn’t have been so hopeful.  Doc Rivers had already countered the small lineup with a miniature lineup of his own.  Old Man Finley at power forward, and both Nate Robinson and Rajon Rondo in the backcourt.  With that change, Rivers effectively won his team the game.

When Glen Davis or Rasheed Wallace is defending Carmelo Anthony, the result is inevitably an endless parade to the free throw line and a 14-point quarter for Melo.  But when Tony Allen defended Melo, with a host of quick and aggressive defenders surrounding him, the energy and speed advantages were shifted to Boston, and the game was essentially over.

I loved Doc’s decision to go small, but wondered why he hasn’t done it at all this season.  He seems entirely against it.  Even after the small lineup let the Celtics run away with last night’s game, he said: “You know, they made a run and we were really stubborn, we didn’t want to go small.  We really didn’t. But we really had no choice. And, fortunately, our last practice, we actually worked on our small offense, so that allowed us to run it.”  And some more: “I wanted to stay big. Honest to God, I did not want to go small, more because I wanted the bigs to play [Denver's] quickness. But we just couldn’t, we had to match up.”

When the Celtics won the 2008 title, one of their most effective lineups had James Posey — a 6’8″ small forward — at power forward.  Doc didn’t use that lineup too often, but when he did it created mismatches and spread the floor.  Fast forward to this season, and Doc hasn’t used a small lineup — or, really, any makeshift lineups — at all.  He’s been content playing the bench mostly as a unit rather than as interchangeable parts to cause mismatches and throw counter-punches.  It wasn’t until Doc’s hand was forced by Adrian Dantley’s small lineup that Doc finally decided to throw the midgets out there and speed the game up himself.

I understand why Doc doesn’t go small very often.  Before Finley arrived, the Celtics had nobody to go small with.  There was no Posey to be able to defend power forwards.  You could probably put Pierce at the four, but it would risk putting him in foul trouble.  You don’t want your best scorer, a small forward, down in the trenches with the trees for extended periods of time.

But Doc, this isn’t hockey.  You don’t have to make line changes all the time.  The second unit has played pretty well as its own lineup, but the subs disappear sometimes.  There are times they can’t throw a tennis ball in a whirlpool.  So switch it up.  Put Nate Robinson in with four starters sometimes.  Put Finley at power forward, like you did last night.

In his defense, Doc said Finley and Robinson are struggling to adjust to the C’s playbook, and don’t necessarily know all the sets the starters run.  But they’ve been with the team long enough, and they’re smart enough players.  Finley’s 190 years old; you don’t think he can learn a couple sets?  At least enough to run with the starters for a couple minutes at a time?  Just throw them in there, Doc.  Switch things up a little, create havoc and mismatches in your team’s favor.

Sometimes, you might even want to do it of your own accord, rather than reacting to another coach’s solid personnel switch.  Your team might reap the benefits of your creativity.