Boston Celtics: The Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown blueprint is on the line

Down 3-2 to the Milwaukee Bucks, there’s a chance that the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown blueprint may very well be on the line for the Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics‘ second-half turnaround was one of the more unexpected things to transpire in the Eastern Conference this year. However, down 3-2 against the Milwaukee Bucks, you can’t help but feel that may be nothing more than just a footnote on the season for Boston.

At one point during the season, there were legit questions about Boston. On January 7, the Celtics were 18-21 and sitting outside the top 8 in the Eastern Conference standings. After that, the Celtics quickly emerged as a title contender as they went 33-10 the rest of the regular season.

The early-season questions involving the Celtics quickly dissolved. All seemed right and the Celtics were heading into the playoffs as the second seed.

Once the playoffs started, somehow, the Celtics looked even more impressive. Without their defensive anchor Robert Williams, Boston demolished the Brooklyn Nets as they swept Kevin Durant out of the playoffs.

However, against the Bucks, much of that has changed. There’s a legit case to be made that the Celtics should already be eliminated. They stole Game 4 on the road, in which Al Horford had the game of his life, and fumbled away Game 5 on their home floor.

But what is done is done, and we can just go based on facts. And the facts are that the Celtics are down 3-2 against the Bucks as the series heads back to Milwaukee for a pivotal Game 6. A game that could have huge repercussions on the entire blueprint for the Celtics.

If the Celtics are to lose in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Bucks, it’s only going to bring about more questions regarding this team’s future – perhaps some of the same questions that were being asked early in the season.

And the big question that was being asked regarding the Celtics was whether the Jaylen Brown-Jayson Tatum duo could thrive together. In fact, it got so bad at the beginning of the season, there were whispers that the Celtics would have to decide between Brown and Tatum.

Of course, all that died down as the Celtics dominated the East during the second half of the season. But all those questions are likely going to return this offseason if this season all ends in the second round.

Context won’t be figured in. No one will remember what this team did during the second half of the regular season. All that will be remembered is this team falling short in the playoffs once again.

Over the past six seasons, the Celtics have made the conference finals three times (assuming they lose against the Bucks in this series). However, they will now have fallen short of the conference finals in three of the last four seasons.

The one time they did make the conference finals in the past four years, it was during the bubble season in which they lost to the Heat.

There’s a chance that if the Celtics lose to the Bucks in Game 6 or Game 7 that the front office decides it’s time for a change. This core has yet to break through and patience may be wearing thin. Heading into Game 6 in Milwaukee, you can’t help but feel as if there is plenty on the line for the Celtics. Perhaps including the entire blueprint.