Bad chemistry in Pacers locker room

Things came to a head, however, during and after last weekend's loss at Houston.

Veterans Danny Granger and Dahntay Jones took exception to comments made to them during the game by rookie Lance Stephenson. Jones had to be restrained from going after Stephenson in the huddle during a second-half timeout.

Things carried over to the locker room after the game when a number of other players were involved in a heated argument.

Stephenson, the team's second-round draft pick, is talented. But there are questions about the 20-year-old's maturity on and off the court.

One of the Pacers' problems is the absence of a player who can mentor Stephenson and help him grow.

"Our problem is internally," Bird said. "I see what's going on inside the locker room. I've seen a lot of it all year. I tried to address it with different people at the trade deadline."

Bird was unable to move T.J. Ford, Solomon Jones, Brandon Rush or Josh McRoberts, who has not been a locker room disruption, before the trade deadline last month.

Chemistry is not the only issue the Pacers face.

Player professionalism is being questioned. Some players have begun arriving for practice just before the scheduled start time. Others constantly joke around during workouts.

The lack of commitment in practice is showing up in games. The Pacers have lost by at least 10 points in five of their past seven defeats.

"You have to have the players behind you and they have to be willing to work hard," Bird said. "I know what's going on; the players know what's going on. We're just not getting the effort."

Vogel, who has no previous head coaching experience, talks to Bird daily for advice on how to handle everything from defensive strategies to dealing with players.

"Larry is more involved with our players and understands what we're trying to do," Vogel said. "I lean on him. We understand there's tough stretches on the schedule and there's easy stretches. You just have to stay together and try to improve your team when you're not winning games."