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NBA purgatory shouldn’t be a term that scares Knicks fans

By Alejandro Lopez

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 6: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks closes his eyes during the national anthem before playing the Toronto Raptors in their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on January 6, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 6: Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks closes his eyes during the national anthem before playing the Toronto Raptors in their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on January 6, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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NBA purgatory is a phrase that many fan bases have become all too accustomed to and that other fan bases fear with every passing moment. It is when a team is neither good enough to compete for a championship nor bad enough to get a high lottery draft pick. The logic behind avoiding NBA purgatory is that it is better to be a bad team with a high draft pick than be a first-round exit if you are not in immediate contention for a championship.

New York Knicks fans have not been immune to the fears of NBA purgatory. Criticism of the Jalen Brunson signing and Julius Randle’s spot on the roster by some Knicks fans during the first half of the season is that this combination of players is at best going to land them right in that purgatory spot in the middle of the Eastern Conference.

But what many fans are missing is that being a middle-of-the-pack team doesn’t always mean that you can’t improve. In fact, playoff experience, even if it ends in a first-round exit, can be very beneficial for this Knicks roster looking into the future. New York is in a position where being in “purgatory” might just be taking another step to reach basketball heaven.

Here’s why NBA purgatory is okay for this New York Knicks team

This is a team currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with their oldest rotational player being 28 years old. The Knicks aren’t some old team whose window to win is closing shut in a year or two. If the Knicks have anything on their side, it is time to develop. Barrett is 22, Brunson is 26, Randle is 28, and the rest of their core pieces are under 25.

Since all of the players on the Knicks are relatively young, they also haven’t demanded any lucrative paydays from the front office. The Knicks don’t have any players on restricting max contract deals so they remain flexible salary-wise as a team that has nothing but movable figures on their roster.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, New York has among the most draft capital in the entire Association. In fact, the only teams currently with more draft capital than the Knicks are the Oklahoma City Thunder, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Houston Rockets. Two of those teams are 11th and 15th in the Western Conference.

So, the next time you hear the term “NBA purgatory,” fear not, Knicks fans, because for the first time in a very long time for this organization, this term does not really apply. With movable salary, a young core of players, and tremendous draft capital, New York is headed in the right direction.

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