SAN ANTONIO — It's not been the best start to the San Antonio Spurs season.
The team is riding a franchise-tying 16-game losing streak and is 3-18 (worst start in team history) which puts them at the bottom of the Western Conference.
It has been trying times for the team but fans continue to pack the Frost Bank Center to cheer on their favorite NBA team despite the mounting losses.
"We appreciate it. We know it's tough. We're just as frustrated if not more frustrated than they are," center Zach Collins said.
It's been a combination of many things which has added up to the Spurs' poor start.
The team has a young roster that is still developing and learning to play together. It's the youngest roster ever since Gregg Popovich became coach in 1996, with an average age of 23.5.
Also, there's been inconsistency on the floor and an inability to close out games.
But Collins is urging fans to stick with the team through this tough time and continue to chant "Go Spurs Go" as loud as they can at home games.
"We're just trying to figure it out but we do appreciate them every night coming out and supporting us," he said.
What also has not helped is the tough NBA schedule.
San Antonio has played some heavyweight NBA teams early in the season like the defending champs Nuggets, the Clippers, Minnesota, Dallas, and Indiana.
The team would say that is just the way it goes and all teams have to face one another eventually but it is a factor when dissecting the start of the season.
However, home games are still filling up.
The Spurs' current average home attendance is 18,289 and there are signs the team is improving slowly.
Rookie sensation Victor Webanyama is progressing rapidly in his NBA development. He recently became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 20-point, 20-rebound double-double versus the Chicago Bulls at home on Dec. 8.
The team remains one of the best-assisting teams in the league at third with 29.2 per game and has recorded more assists than the opposition in four straight games. Also, turnovers have dropped slightly at 14.0 per game through three games in December, and despite the piling losses, the Spurs are remaining competitive more often than not in recent games.
The good news is there are plenty of games left in the season for the Spurs to turn things around.
And Collins predicts that will happen.
"The tide will turn and we owe a lot to our fans and we're going to get it right," he said.