The Boston Celtics apear to have some locker room chemistry issues.
Brad Stevens’ club entered the season as the overwhelming favorite to win the Eastern Conference, but the C’s got off to a slow start to the season, limping to a 10-10 record through 20 games. Boston has turned it around over the last few months, but something has always seemed off about the ultra-talented group.
Reports have leaked out about certain players taking issue with the number of minutes Gordon Hayward has been getting, and after the Celtics blew a 28-point lead against the Los Angeles Clippers in a loss Saturday night, Marcus Morris admitted the team doesn’t have fun and it’s been that way for a while.
So, how bad are things with the Green?
While there apparently aren’t any major issues within the locker room, the collection of players reportedly aren’t that fond of each other and are just trying to “coexist,” The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn reported Sunday, citing sources.
The #Celtics locker room issues aren't that big of a surprise to some NBA folks I talked to today. The consensus is that the players aren't necessarily beefing but they aren't that close. It's like they are trying to coexist politely, and it's not working.
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) February 10, 2019
With 26 games remaining, the Celtics currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, but they are just two games behind the third-place Indiana Pacers.
While there’s no doubt Boston has the talent to make a deep postseason run, the group will need to find a way to come together quickly or else the C’s could be headed for a quick playoff exit and an offseason filled with questions.
