Nothing's Shocking

Seedings lie. Playoffs seeding lie like rugs. And you get what you deserve if you don't pay attention to recent history. The hottest team in a series doesn't necessarily have to be the "favorite", and in the case of last night's Game 1 of the Sixers-Pistons series, the favorite Pistons couldn't get the job done.And there was shock and awe by analysts everywhere. But don't buy the hype that the Pistons lost, they were simply beaten. I actually watched the entire game (I honestly cannot recall when I have ever watched a whole NBA game), and both teams had bouts of turnovers and missed "easy" shots. (The box score says it all: each team had the same number of turnovers, and Philly shot 43% to the Pistons' 39.) No excuses -- the better team won.

Better, you sputter? Really? Yes, really. The Sixers, the #7 seed with a 40-42 season record, are a better team than Detroit, the #2 seed, with a 59-23 record. The two teams split their season series 2-2, so that seems a wash, but a different story emerges when you look at the records since the All-Star break.

• Sixers record since All-Star break: 22-12. Pistons record: 17-14.
• Number of games played between the Sixers and Pistons since the All-Star break: 2. Number the Pistons won: ZERO.
• Instant update: make that 3-0 as of last night.

I asked one of my Detroit friends what he thought of the series, and he said: "I think we will be playing four practice games the first round." Yes, he and many others today are shocked by the opening home game loss, not so much because it was a big upset but because of their own ignorance.

That all said, this is only one game, so nobody is crowning the victor just yet.