Tristan Thompson Criticizes ‘Unacceptable’ Celtics Amid Skid

The Boston Celtics are reeling. You know it, they know it — everyone knows it.

And Tristan Thompson sounds fed up by it.

With Wednesday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the now-14-14 Celtics have fallen in five of their last seven games. They have not been a fun team to watch (something Jaylen Brown admitted), often delivering lifeless, uninspired play on a nightly basis.

And following the setback to Atlanta, Thompson gave a blunt take on where things are at.

“We are no longer the hunters. We are the hunted,” Thompson said, via The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “Three Conference Finals in four years. With having that kind of success, teams circle us on their calendar. So having Saddiq Bey have 30, and guys having career nights against us, that’s unacceptable. …

“It’s about time we light a fire under each other’s (expletive). If I see a guy slacking, I’m gonna say it and I think the same thing vice versa. When we start doing that, that will lead to more consistency for our team.”

Of course, he’s right.

Danny Ainge is shouldering some of the blame, saying it’s on him and the players and not Brad Stevens. That’s debatable, but what isn’t debatable is that something has to change for the Celtics, because while they’re in fifth place in the conference for now, they’re just two games clear of 10th.

So if they don’t course-correct soon, it could get real, real ugly.