It was nice. It really was. Winning games, running up and down the floor, hitting threes for a change. And all without new dimepiece Andrew Bynum. We had fun. Fun was had.

But the preseason is the preseason for a reason (... treason) and once the 82's start, none of that matters. The Sixers minus Bynum are pages in a book with no cover. They're looseleaf papers blowing around randomly. They simply do not matter. Increased reliance on Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Dorell Wright, and Nick Young can only take you so far before the defense adjusts and the ill-advised jumpers stop falling.

That's not to say there's no hope. There is. At some point, Andrew Bynum will take off his street clothes. Then he will be naked. Then he will put on a jersey. And hopefully some pants. He'll play basketball for the Philadelphia 76ers and all will be good. And good is good.

Until that day comes -- no one has any idea when that will be -- the Sixers have to tread water. Hover around .500. Keep other teams within arm's length. There will be an adjustment curve once Andy gets implemented into the rotation, but ultimately success will be had.

In the frustration of a back-to-back sweep by the Knicks, we can lose sight of what's important to the team this season. Wins and losses aren't it. This team has a direction and a plan. And that's so much better than any other point in the past 25 years that we shouldn't throw in the towel now.