The (alleged) fractures in the Celtics locker room

[Roy Hobbs]

This morning, Gary Washburn of the Globe reported:

The Celtics’ locker room is fractured. There are the old schoolers (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Michael Finley), the Sheed crew (Wallace, Robinson, and Daniels), and the future stars (Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins), while the rest bounce from group to group.

Doc Rivers disputed this, telling WEEI:

“It’s not [accurate]. There clearly are groups that hang out with each other more than other groups, but that’s no different. Why does that have to be negative? It’s ridiculous. … Come on, guys, that’s just silly talk, and a [reporter] looking for something. Usually you hang out with your age group, there’s no difference in that. Usually, you hang out with guys personality-wise that you match. Larry Bird and Kevin McHale didn’t go out together. So I guess they didn’t like each other. That’s just silly. That’s just looking for stuff and stirring the pot.”

(Hat tip to Celtics Town for the above.)

If nothing else, Doc's words seem to confirm who is hanging with who.  The thing the Washburn story seems to suggest is that Sheed has a group of followers, led by Nate and Daniels.  Is it a coincidence that these three guys are near the top of the list of biggest underachievers on the Celtics?  Is this one of the reasons (purely conjecture here) that Nate and Daniels are apparently out of the playoff rotation?

I hate reading stories about a fractured locker room, but would it shock anybody if this was true?  I guess the one thing that I was a bit surprised to read is that KG and Rasheed aren't part of the same locker room crowd.  Weren't these two close friends?  Could it suggest, perhaps, that KG isn't completely enamored with Rasheed now that the two share a locker room?

Again, this is all completely conjecture, but it's interesting to read about.

[Roy Hobbs]

Also, Washburn gave some more fodder to those fans who didn't think Rasheed and Nate would fit into the locker room:

[Rasheed's] stubbornness has stunned some of his teammates, and it has become apparent why the Pistons allowed him to leave. . . . What has angered Rivers is Wallace’s inconsistency. And a veteran team has at times refused to adhere to Rivers’s game plan or adjustments and freelanced in crucial moments. That defiance has worn on Rivers and that will probably mean a slew of changes this offseason. If the players are aging — and they are — then the only way for the Celtics to compete for the next two years is to follow Rivers’s lead completely, and that hasn’t been the case this season.

Nate Robinson has been tentative, and privately the organization has questioned his maturity.

[Drucci]

Like I said on the frontpage, I don't buy it. It seems too me that Washburn has imagined possible groups of guys supposedly divided in the locker room but when you think about it, it's quite easy to classify them in the groups he made. The vets on one side, the young players on the other, and the "Sheed group" with all the relaxed, "never mind" attitude (Quisy and Nate fit perfectly in that group). Then you don't know where to put TA and Shelden so you say they go from one group to another.

Of course it could be true but I agree with Doc on this one. Washburn has no arguments or facts whatsoever to back up his statements, I could have made that story up too. And I don't think that a team that wins 50 games and plays great for 3 quarters or 2 quarters and a half against the best teams in the league doesn't get along with each other.

However, it's not the first time that we hear about the "vets vs youth conflict" but Doc is right, it's quite natural to hang out with people of your age or with similar interests. It doesn't mean they don't like each other.

What I find intriguing, however, is Ainge's quote in this interview : http://www.csnne.com/pages/v1_landing_celtics?Ainge-We-took-some-games-off-this-year-i=1&blockID=216426&feedID=3945&qv=1#bp

I've watched it before I found out about these stories of a fractured locker-room and that quote really awake my curiosity : "We've had a lot of bumps and bruises over the year, a lot that has been documented and a lot that hasn't been documented".

My first thought was : "is he referring about locker room problems/division?" and then I saw this article from Washburn so I guess there is some spark to this smoke, or maybe I'm just overreacting to the quote.

[vgulab]

i think this is the biggest problem with the celtics this season. Rasheed is not playing well and now he is a problem in the locker room? plus he takes almost 6mil per season? this is unacceptable. team hemisty is low and probably this explains why.
doc isn't right saying that this isn't a problem i think it is a major problem

[rondohondo]

Nate Robinson has been tentative, and privately the organization has questioned his maturity.

Yea that Bill Walker and House for Nate trade is looking better by the day.....

Walker = 50% + FG. , 40%+ 3pt FG's since joining the NYK. He is also has cheap team options for the next few years and can play SG/SF (  a position the C's are going to need to get younger at)

[Donoghus]

There's cliques in every locker room.  I think this is getting blown out of proportion.

Sure, I'm guessing there's been tension at times and clashing of egos.  Is it killing this team out on the floor?  I don't know and if it is, I'm not sure to what extent.

[reggie35]

I don't know about Nate, but Sheed and Daniels have been spotted out on the town together, including a strip club in Rhode Island.

[Roy Hobbs]

There's cliques in every locker room.  I think this is getting blown out of proportion.

Sure, I'm guessing there's been tension at times and clashing of egos.  Is it killing this team out on the floor?  I don't know and if it is, I'm not sure to what extent.

There definitely has been a different vibe around the team this year, though, right? 

I personally have a hard time believing that a team that won 62 games last year with KG missing a large chunk of the season is now barely winning 50 games for no other reason that it suddenly got old.  There's definitely been a different attitude this year, and it wouldn't shock me if some of that is due to a divided locker room.

[Donoghus]

There's cliques in every locker room.  I think this is getting blown out of proportion.

Sure, I'm guessing there's been tension at times and clashing of egos.  Is it killing this team out on the floor?  I don't know and if it is, I'm not sure to what extent.

There definitely has been a different vibe around the team this year, though, right? 

I personally have a hard time believing that a team that won 62 games last year with KG missing a large chunk of the season is now barely winning 50 games for no other reason that it suddenly got old.  There's definitely been a different attitude this year, and it wouldn't shock me if some of that is due to a divided locker room.

Sure, I've definitely gotten a sense of malaise with the team this year and its certainly a different feel to '08 and even last year. 

However, I just don't know to what extent its affected the team on the floor. 

I'd really like to know how much pain some of these guys have been playing with this year.  I know we won't know until after the season but, and I've mentioned this before, I wouldn't be shocked at all to hear that some of these guys were much more hurt then we were led to believe.

[Fafnir]

I personally have a hard time believing that a team that won 62 games last year with KG missing a large chunk of the season is now barely winning 50 games for no other reason that it suddenly got old. 

I'm not all that surprised, the team played over their heads without KG hoping he'd come back.

Now Ray, Pierce, and KG have all declined signifigantly.

[thirstyboots18]

I don't know about fractured, but UBUNTU seems to be just a word and not a deeply imbedded philosophy, appearing only in flashes.  I have been saying that they should have gone somewhere again this year to meld and blend off the court for better trust and inclusion of the newer teammates on the court. It worked in the championship season (during the trip to Italy).

[Tai]

I don't know about Nate, but Sheed and Daniels have been spotted out on the town together, including a strip club in Rhode Island.

Do you mind saying where you heard of that?

[indeedproceed]

I don't know about fractured, but UBUNTU seems to be just a word and not a deeply imbedded philosophy, appearing only in flashes.  I have been saying that they should have gone somewhere again this year to meld and blend off the court for better trust and inclusion of the newer teammates on the court. It worked in the championship season (during the trip to Italy).

Ubuntu's just another word for...nothin left to lose...
Nothin, that's all that 'Sheed left me, yeah..
But winnin' chips was easy, Lord, when KG could get an oop,
Hey, winning chips was good enough for me, hmm hmm,
Good enough for me but not Nate Quis and Sheed.

[wdleehi]

Who is in charge with getting this team together?



Where is the leadership in the lockerroom?



This seem like a rudderless ship all year (or at least a slow reacting rudder)

[thirstyboots18]

I don't know about fractured, but UBUNTU seems to be just a word and not a deeply imbedded philosophy, appearing only in flashes.  I have been saying that they should have gone somewhere again this year to meld and blend off the court for better trust and inclusion of the newer teammates on the court. It worked in the championship season (during the trip to Italy).

Ubuntu's just another word for...nothin left to lose...
Nothin, that's all that 'Sheed left me, yeah..
But winnin' chips was easy, Lord, when KG could get an oop,
Hey, winning chips was good enough for me, hmm hmm,
Good enough for me but not Nate Quis and Sheed.

  Ok, Bobby McGee, at least you didn't say that you heard that Ubuntu "Is Just A Four (6) Letter Word"!