There's no secret that if the regular season ended today, the Detroit Pistons would finish as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
In fact, as the season continues to unfold, all signs are pointing to the East running through the Motor City with the Pistons' eyeing homecourt advantage throughout the first three rounds of the playoffs, assuming Detroit carries their dominance from the regular season into the postseason.
At the same time, being crowned as the top seed in each conference is no longer the advantage it once was.
And based on the comments from arguably the most prestigious sports agents in the game, Rich Paul, Detroit is destined to learn exactly why that is.
According to Paul, the 8th seed in the playoffs is no longer a push over, and in large part it's due to the newly implemented NBA Play-In Tournament.
"When you have the parity that you have in today's league, seeding doesn't matter," Paul claimed.
Looking back to the Miami Heat's run to the NBA Finals as the 8th seed, it proves exactly what Paul is talking about.
Pistons will face off against a tough opponent, regardless of seeding
At the moment, Detroit is in position to play one of the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets or Atlanta Hawks.
The Pistons won't find out their first-round opponent until the very last second, with the winner of the last game of the Play-In tournament deciding who they'll face off against.
Nonetheless, looking at the team's above, it's clear that none of those potential opponents will be a cake walk by any means, especially the red-hot Hornets, who've quietly become one of the most exciting young teams in the league over recent months.
Of course home court advantage will be a major key for J.B. Bickerstaff's squad, but for fans who believe that the Pistons regular season dominance will reward them with an easy first-round series, think again.
Detroit's postseason chances remain high
As mentioned above, Detroit won't be in line for an easy for round matchup, but they will be in line for an easier battle in round 1.
The Pistons have proven throughout the season that they can win any given matchup, and as long as injuries don't get in the way, Detroit's well-disciplined and talented roster surely will put them in position to make a deep run.
Regardless of Paul's point, there's still plenty of reasons to be optimistic that when the postseason arrives, the Pistons and their MVP candidate Cade Cunningham will be ready to go.