Bob Kravitz

bob.kravitz@indystar.com

Coach Frank Vogel has seen the locker room quotes, including the recent one in which Roy Hibbert talked about the existence of "selfish dudes'' in the Indiana Pacers locker room — a blast that I believe was directed at Lance Stephenson and, to a lesser extent, Paul George. Hibbert also suggested the other night that the Pacers were "spiraling'' and "splintering.''

And Vogel has had enough, not just from Hibbert but from any of his players who've shared their internal concerns with the media.

His message to his team Monday?

Shut up.

Just … shut up.

"It bothers me,'' Vogel said before the Pacers' 101-94 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. "Guys should never air in-house stuff to the media. I talked to the team about it today (Wednesday).

"It was a weird thing. Roy said it a couple of days ago (after the Washington loss) and nobody really caught onto it until (recently). So I made sure to tell them that A) I don't believe we have 'selfish dudes' in our locker room and B) whatever you might want to say about your teammates, don't say it to the media. We have to get that stopped.''

The incendiary quotes make for good copy for guys like me, but I understand Vogel's view on this. All it does is feed the growing perception of the Pacers as an immature, young-minded team that has fallen to pieces internally.

There are a lot of factors that have conspired to bring the Pacers to their knees these last 36 games.

The biggest problem is their star player, George, who hasn't been the same since the All-Star break. He has had difficulty adapting to the new defenses that have been thrown his way. More, though, he's had to deal with sudden stardom, had to deal with off-the-court issues involving A) a Miami stripper and B) a social-media photo that may or may not have been part of a ruse. Sometimes we forget — he's just 23.

And there's more. David West has been in a shooting slump. Hibbert appears and disappears, sometimes because of his teammates and sometimes because of his own failure to get deep post-up position. Luis Scola can't make a shot, with the exception of the recent home victory over the Chicago Bulls. Backup point guard C.J. Watson has been missed more than anybody realizes.

I asked Vogel if the Danny Granger-Evan Turner trade sent his team careening in the wrong direction, even though the Pacers started struggling before the deal was made.

"No, I don't think that's what's responsible for us struggling,'' he said. "I think the schedule in March would have beaten us down whether we made a trade or didn't make a trade. We had 11 games on the road this month. With 82 games, that's why it's so tough to win 60 games. Every team has stretches like this, some in December, some in January. It just happens that it's happening to us in March. I still think our guys really believe in what we have here. I think it's going to stabilize and turn around for us.''

These have been a challenging couple of months for Vogel, who has properly been a Teflon coach since taking over for Jim O'Brien. What's there been to criticize? Not much. Not until now, anyway.

But less than a month ago, when the Pacers were in the throes of a four-game losing streak, Vogel had to read in my Star column how team President Larry Bird took some issue with his perpetually positive coaching style.

"I … think he's got to start going after guys when they're not doing what they're supposed to do,'' Bird said in March. "And stay on them, whether you've got to take them out of the game when they're not doing what they're supposed to do, or limit their minutes. I will say, he hasn't done that enough.''

I asked Vogel if those comments bothered him. He shook his head and said, "No.''

Well, it would have bothered me if I was in Vogel's position. Who wants to hear from their boss that he doesn't quite agree with your style of coaching? Especially when you're in first place in the Eastern Conference?

I asked Vogel if he has lit into his players in recent weeks since the skid began.

"Yeah, we've had some pretty intense film sessions and practices to get these guys playing the right way,'' he said. "Some strong messages have been sent and received.''

Then Vogel went home Tuesday night and did what he often does: He pushed play on the DVR and started watching one of his favorite shows, ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption.''

The lead story was headlined, "Vogel out, Bird in.''

Vogel laughed when he recounted the story Wednesday.

"I saw that and said, 'What the (bleep)?'" he said with a smile. "I had just met with Larry earlier. I think everything's cool. I'm really confused.''

Turned out, it was an April Fool's joke.

Vogel didn't take it badly — he loves the show — but it was another shot across the bow during a challenging time.

At this point, Vogel knows there are no short-cuts, no magic potions. All he can do is work, do all the things he's been doing all year, whether the Pacers are on a roll or on the ropes. In public, he won't criticize his players; that's not his style and shouldn't be his style.

Now he wants his team to follow suit, quit bickering in private and in public, and get its act together in time for the playoffs.

Bob Kravitz is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Call him at (317) 444-6643 or email bob.kravitz@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BKravitz.