Yes, this series is underway. They've played two games, in fact. Pistons handled the Bucks pretty, uh, handily on Sunday and Wednesday.

Ben Wallace (left) and the Pistons have had no trouble in the first two games against the Bucks. AP

Scarily, the Detroit Pistons, once again, are being afforded the chance to do their damage without anyone noticing. Strange, given that the Pistons have averaged 55 wins a year over the last five campaigns, winning a lobby full of regular-season hardware alongside a Lawrence O'Brien trophy (not the one G. Gordon Liddy was looking for) in 2004.

And yet, even after taking the champion Spurs to the brink last June and flirting with 70 wins this season, Flip Saunders' crew is on the tips of absolutely nobody's tongue. Detroit's play has yet to even be broken down on this blog, and we've managed to discuss Frankie Muniz's real estate worries, ancient BBC music programs and Andrew Lawrence's conniving way with bus drivers. Tonight's Game 2 was the game nobody wanted to telecast, relegated to NBA TV as on-air fodder to be obliterated in the ratings by a more attractive Dallas/Memphis pairing, or a too-chirpy group of amateur singers plying their trade on network telly.

Topping that, Game 3 in Milwaukee won't be seen until Saturday night on ESPN. You know who watches NBA hoops on ESPN over a Saturday night? Mugs like me, hoping for a Jason Maxiell sighting. Hardly the stuff that knockout Q ratings are made of.

Wednesday's annihilation was exactly what you'd expect. On offense, Detroit was allowed to move the ball and set uncontested screen after screen against a Bucks defense that ranks among the league's worst. Milwaukee wasn't even trying, as players like Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace were allowed to slide into open pockets and receive slick passes without even a hint of help defense to complicate things.

Even the most basic of tenets, something about not allowing layups, was continually ignored. At one point in the first half, Milwaukee watched as Ben Wallace threw up three head fakes before bounding up for an easy slam. Bucks? That's Ben Wallace. Foul him. Even if Ben's strength allows him to throw down a dunk, the man only converted 6-of-27 (22 percent) "and one" free throw attempts this year. Overall, the Pistons shot 51 percent, and 30 of their 42 field goals come off of assists.

Milwaukee's only offense seemed to come from bombing from the perimeter, the kind of face-up looks that only come after guys like Michael Redd, Mo Williams and Charlie Bell wave off a screen and call their own number. Andrew Bogut, who has been criminally underutilized all season, ended up leading his team in assists with four. Four! When he wasn't dishing to his teammates, the rookie power forward was left shooting bail-out perimeter shots that invariably fell short. What Terry Stotts' offense lacks in coherence and selflessness, it makes up for in utter confusion.

Actually, my opening line? The one about this series being underway? Kindly disregard it.