The Detroit Pistons have all but secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference, which would give them homecourt advantage up until the NBA Finals.
Typically, earning the No. 1 seed would be considered a major win, especially for teams hoping to make a deep run, but for the Pistons, being the top seed in the East comes with a situation that only adds an extra layer of difficulty for the team's postseason plans.
With the Eastern Conference seedings far from being finalized, a potential first-round opponent has become nearly impossible for head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his coaching staff to pinpoint in efforts to getting an early start on game planning.
And while that may not seem like a big issue to some, typically at this time of the season, teams have an idea of who their first-round matchup will be against, even with the looming NBA Play-In Tournament.
This season, that's not the case.
Pistons could play one of six different teams
With April officially here, the regular season has just around 6-7 remaining games for most teams around the league.
Looking at the standings in the East, a mere three games seperates the No. 5 seeded Atlanta Hawks and the No. 10 seeded Charlotte Hornets.
The shifting in the standings will continue to shake out as the season unfolds, but even when the 82-game mark hits, the seeding 8-10 won't be finalized until the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament.
As a result, Detroit will have to wait until the very last second to find out who their first-round opponent will be, and with the possibility of playing the Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets.
That makes it a nightmare situation for the Pistons, who could use every bit of an advantage entering the postseason with uncertainty around the health of Cade Cunningham.
Detroit has to be prepared for every scenario possible
It's nearly impossible for the Pistons to know how things will shake out in the East, but the team will have to be prepared for whatever challenge comes their way.
Each game plan will be drastically different depending on the matchup, but Bickerstaff and his coaching staff will have to prepare his team for a variety of different scenarios as the regular season comes to an end.
Obviously, Detroit's focus should remain on finishing the season strong to ensure they are indeed the top seed, but beyond that, the Pistons need to be ready for what looms ahead.