DALLASThis is the predicament the Boston Celtics find themselves in now.
They have lost three ina row, six of the last seven, and are officially a below-.500 team.
There is no doubt there's a need - a strong need - to shake things up a bit.
But that desire has to be framed in the reality that the C's have had an unusually high number of injuries. That has been the biggest factor in the team's falling below .500, which happened in Monday's loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
While it remains to be seen what the Celtics will do between now and the March 15 deadline, coach Doc Rivers is pretty clear on where he stands on the matter.
"We're losing, number one, because we're not playing well; number two, because we are injured," Rivers said. "So, why shake things up if guys are injured? You've got to let them get healthy, if they can."
And with the players Boston has been missing due to injuries, most appear to not be suffering from potential season-ending injuries.
Jermaine O'Neal had to leave in the third quarter on Monday because of a left wrist injury. The 6-foot-10 veteran has been bothered by a lengthy list of injuries throughout his time with the Celtics. It is unclear if he'll be able to play Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Brandon Bass (left knee) and Chris Wilcox (groin) are also players dealing with injuries that aren't expected to keep them out too long. Bass is expected back in the lineup after the All-Star break. And Wilcox, who left the game in the third quarter on Monday because of a groin injury, isn't sure if he'll play against the Thunder.
If you see Rivers look the other way when crossing the path of the Celtics' team trainer, well, you can understand why.
Eye contact usually means talking will follow.
Talking generates conversation.
Conversation, at least these days when it comes to the Celtics, involves injury updates.
And the news on that front, especially this year, hasn't been very good.
That's why Rivers had no intention of approaching them following Boston's 89-73 loss at Dallas on Monday night, to inquire about the injuries to O'Neal and Wilcox.
"I'm scared to talk to the medical staff," Rivers said. "Because they don't really give you good news. So, I make them search me out for the most part."
O'Neal and Wilcox have both missed games earlier this year because of injuries. This latest round of injuries comes at a time when the C's roster continues to be decimated by one player after another, having to miss time due to an injury, a personal matter (Kevin Garnett) or a suspension (Rajon Rondo).
And the mounting injuries have certainly played a major role in the team's struggles this year.
While it's clear that a healthy Celtics team would in all likelihood do better than the squad we're seeing right now, don't think for a minute that that will stop C's president of basketball operations Danny Ainge from trying to make a blockbuster trade.
"Danny is always going to look for trades," Rivers said. "You know who Danny is. But having said that, I don't think Danny is going to do anything crazy."