Joe Dumars' confident smile said a lot. After the Pistons were swept by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night, Dumars, the Pistons' president, was disappointed that his team wasn't going to the NBA Finals this season.

"We had a great run," Dumars said. "We ran into a team that was a little bit more focused and a little bit more determined."

But Dumars wasn't sad or depressed. For another team president, it might have been the right response to the situation because sometimes it's the only shot you get to accomplish such a goal.

Not the Pistons, however. That's why Dumars looked as if his team had taken yet another step toward competing a championship. Last season, the Pistons were knocked out by the Celtics in the second round. This year, they went a step further, making it to the conference finals for the first time since 1991.

Dumars is convinced that the Pistons should be able to take the final step and compete for a title next season.