Celtics guard Jaylen Brown has blamed a “toxic” environment for Boston’s highly underwhelming 2018-19 campaign.

Brown’s Celtics were expected to take a step forward after weathering a litany of injuries to come within a single victory of last year’s NBA finals, but have struggled with chemistry and consistency all season long. Worse, things seem to be headed in the wrong direction with Boston having lost seven of their last 10 games to slump to fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.

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“The losing, it’s not a good feeling,” Brown told the Boston Globe. “Because right now it’s not good. It’s toxic. I can’t really point out one thing. I don’t have all the answers. I’m just going to try to be part of the change. I’m going to try to do my best. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Boston, who open a four-game road trip on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors, are running out of time to turn their season around, but Brown said the Celtics can still recover.

“I still believe,” Brown said. “I think we’ve got time to get it together. I’m very optimistic and very positive and think that we will. ... We keep talking about it. I’m just going to try to do it with my play, come out and play hard and try to change the atmosphere and this environment.”

One possible reason behind the discord is the constant chatter that’s surrounded the impending free agency of star point guard Kyrie Irving, which could have far-reaching effects on the locker room. Should Irving re-sign with the Celtics, then Boston’s younger assets, including Brown and Jayson Tatum, could be packaged in a trade for the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis. If Irving walks, Brown and Tatum will likely stay.

Irving admits the distraction has taken a personal toll.

“I didn’t really come into this game to be cameras in my face, you know, be famous, be a celebrity, whatever embodies that, so it’s a little hard for me,” he told reporters on Sunday. “I wanted those things when I was younger but now at this point in my career I just want to play basketball at a very, very high level and the distractions that come within the team sometimes can get overwhelming so, I’m human.”

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens acknowledged the team has failed to even approach their lofty goals for the season, but agrees with Brown that it’s not too late to turn things around.

“This is all about being together,” Stevens said. “We have not repeated with the right connected level for a lot of the year. But we can do it and we have done it and that’s going to have to be a choice. Ultimately, that’s on all of us. We’re all responsible for that. The thing I love most about basketball is when a team comes together. We haven’t yet. So we’ll see.”