As things fall apart for the Boston Celtics, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge wants to make one thing abundantly clear: The problems are not spiraling out of control in the locker room.
It is fair to wonder how the Celtics' chemistry is behind the scenes right now. Pegged by many to make a deep playoff run this season, the C's instead have been a tire fire, currently sitting outside the playoff picture.
Boston has found some brutal ways to lose, too, from blowouts against bad teams to heartbreakers at the buzzer.
But when point blank asked Thursday during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub if there was turmoil in the locker room, Ainge responded bluntly.
"No, definitely not," he said.
OK, then.
Obviously, it's a good sign if the team remains unified, because once the locker room fractures, it could be tough to put back together.
So, for now, we'll take Ainge's word for it that the Celtics are just underperforming and not playing hard enough, and that the struggles aren't a matter of there being issues behind closed doors.
