The Detroit Pistons were eliminated from the playoffs Thursday by the New York Knicks, but that almost doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
For a team that won just 14 games last year to earn the sixth seed and avoid the play-in tournament, an early playoff loss in no way defines this season, as postseason success was never the point this year.
(Of course, the Pistons would have loved to move on and compete for a championship, but the stark contrast of last season to this one allows them significant leeway to focus on process instead of immediate results.