The Celtics may have hit a roadbump in January, but team president Danny Ainge is not ready to give up on this season just yet.
"We haven’t been healthy this year, and I feel like we’re going to be," Ainge told The Boston Globe. "It just happens that we put it on cruise control a little bit too often. But I think that our team is very talented and we have a good mix of players."
Despite being optimistic about the team’s chances, Ainge is concerned about the Celtics’ lack of intensity on defense.
"The [defensive] lapses do concern me because I know we’re capable of more," Ainge told the Globe. "Sometimes, I feel like our team thinks they can win without playing 100 percent at the defensive end for the entire game. I just think we need to bring more intensity, and we usually do that."
The Celtics have been connected to trade rumors involving Knicks guard Nate Robinson, but Ainge does not intend to make a trade simply for the sake of shaking things up in the Celtics’ locker room.
"We’re not going to make changes just to make changes," Ainge said.
However, the team made a significant move in Friday’s game against the Blazers.
Kevin Garnett returned to the Celtics’ lineup, and the team responded with a 98-95 win in overtime, snapping its three-game losing streak.
With The Big Ticket back for the Celtics, Ainge has no need to worry. For now.
