Anyone else sense that there is some sort of feud or power crisis going on in the locker room
I don't get that sense at all. I think that everyone knows who the leaders of this basketball team are. I think that some of the role players are still trying to find their roles and see where they fit in, though.
I've been particularly encouraged by the play of Lee and Green in these last two games without Rondo. I'm hoping that their level of play can carry over once Rondo returns. Lee is obviously not going to continue to get 35+ minutes a night, but the stuff he's been doing out there in these last two games are just what we all expected from him when we signed him; his role is as a defender and all-around energy guard.
As far as Green goes, I think that a lot of his early season problems have been in his own head. Having two impressive back-to-back games that sort of prove
that he can play after all is going to help his confidence, even when he has a bad game or two. Maybe he can start to release some of the pressure that's been placed on him. I think the pressure placed on him by the fans and the media has probably had a far greater impact on his play than the pressure of playing with the game's best guard.
Despite the pain of last night's huge meltdown, I'm slowly seeing some very encouraging signs with this team. I've always believed that we have the talent to be a serious threat come playoff time. I'm sticking with that belief for the time being.