Conversation so far:
How did Red Auerbach get his start?
In 1941, Auerbach began coaching basketball at the St. Albans School and Roosevelt High School in Washington, D.C.
What teams did Auerbach coach for in his first coaching years?
Red Auerbach joined the US Navy for three years, coaching the basketball team in Norfolk. He caught the eye of Mike Uline, who hired him to coach the Washington Capitols.
Did Red Auerbach win any playoffs in his first coaching years?
In the 1948–49 BAA season, Auerbach's Capitols won their first 15 games and finished the season at 38–22. The team reached the BAA Finals, but were beaten.
Did Red Auerbach coach anyone in the hall of fame in his first coaching years?
Red Auerbach Washington Capitols reached the BAA Finals in the 1948–49 BAA season, but were beaten by the Minneapolis Lakers, who were led by Hall-of-Fame center George Mikan.
How did Red Auerbach become an NBA coach?
Prior to the 1950–51 NBA season, Walter Brown, owner of the Boston Celtics, was desperate to turn around his struggling and financially strapped franchise and hired Red Auerbach.
What brought an end to Red Auerbach's early years of coaching?
When Ben Kerner, owner of the Tri-Cities Blackhawks traded Auerbach's favorite player John Mahnken, an angry Red Auerbach resigned again.

Question: What was believed to be the reason they never won?
Self-contained rewrite: What was believed to be the reason Red Auerbach's Tri-Cities Blackhawks never won?