The Detroit Pistons are 46-18, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference just two seasons removed from winning only 14 games. It's an incredible turnaround that should have gained the respect of the entire league.
So why is Tyrese Maxey, All-Star point guard for the rival Philadelphia 76ers, a problem for the Pistons?
It's because no one believes in the Pistons -- and the odds continue to grow that they will face a truly difficult task just to get out of the first round.
No one believes in the Pistons
It used to be that the best record in a conference meant something, that it came with a measure of respect. But times have changed, and respect cannot be earned in the regular season.
This Pistons group has not proven anything in the playoffs. They made it last season and lost in six games to the New York Knicks, a solid showing but hardly a flag-planting moment. They still have much to prove.
They also are not an unassailable top seed despite their guady record. Their defense is stout but not undeniable, and on offense, they have just one primary creator -- a brilliant one in Cade Cunningham, to be sure, but he stands alone.
Can the Pistons adapt well enough in the playoffs to take down multiple teams en route to the NBA Finals? It's a very real question, and it has many putting the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers atop the East power rankings, even with Detroit many wins clear of all three.
Will Detroit win even one series?
Yet more so than not being the favorite to win the conference, many are uncomfortable with locking the Pistons into winning even a series.
Again and again this season, news of a surging team near the bottom of the bracket has cast the Pistons' first-round chances into doubt. Can they beat an experienced Miami Heat team? Do the Atlanta Hawks have the right pieces to shut down Cade? Can anyone stop the "buzz" saw that is the Charlotte Hornets?
Now yet another foe is poised to emerge and cast a shadow of doubt on the Pistons. The Philadelphia 76ers have spent most of the season firmly in the Top-6 of the playoff bracket, but they have now dropped down to 8th.
This has coincided with the loss of their All-NBA candidate point guard, Tyrese Maxey, who injured a tendon in his right pinkie finger and will be out for at least three weeks. It's brutal news for Maxey, who needs to return and play in four more games to qualify for All-NBA honors.
It's even more brutal news for the 76ers, who have hopes of making a playoff run but will now have to do so from the bottom of the bracket. The weight of their absences -- Joel Embiid also remains out, while Paul George is suspended for a few more weeks -- will pull them into the Play-In Tournament.
The Pistons might have to face the 76ers
Is it bad news for the Pistons? Perhaps. If the 76ers get healthy in time for the postseason, they would be much more talented than the average No. 8 seed. The Pistons would have to contend with Embiid, George, Maxey, rookie VJ Edgecombe and Sixth Man Quentin Grimes. That's a lot of firepower.
Should the Pistons be favored? Of course they should. They have been really good this season, and their chances in the postseason are better than their lack of experience would indicate.
Even so, teams are upset all of the time, and there is no proof that this formula is a winning one in the playoffs. If a team finds a way to contain Cunningham, can the rest of the team pick up the slack?
Having an easy first-round matchup to tune things up would be ideal, but it doesn't look like such an opportunity is on its way. Whether it's a Charlotte Hornets team on fire or a 76ers team finally getting healthy, the Pistons may have to face a real opponent from the very jump.
It just keeps coming for the Pistons. Only playoff victories will silence the doubters -- and they will be harder than ever to come by.