In an NBA world where there is championship contention and lottery hope, being stuck in the middle tends to be viewed as a hopeless limbo.
But there also can be benefits of the current level of parity that the league has only begun to see in recent years.
It, in fact, is what Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra admitted provided relief in the wake of Sunday’s disheartening loss to the Charlotte Hornets at the start of this four-game trip that continues Thursday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.