SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs' 2021-22 season is wrapping up, and the San Antonio Spurs will be heading to the NBA Play-In Tournament against the Pelicans.
But, how are fans feeling about the team making it beyond the regular season?
To answer this, we speak with our go-to Spurs fan, Marquez Anderson, to give us the pulse of the fanbase for KENS 5's "The Pulse of the Fanbase" series.
Here's what Marquez tells us about what is on the minds of the "Silver & Black" faithful.
Jeff: How excited are fans about the team making it to the Play-In?
Marquez: I think most fans are excited to see what the team can do in the Play-In. Once the players became more vocal about their desire to make it, most fans seemed to be on board.
While some still would have preferred getting higher draft odds, it seemed evident the teams currently behind the Spurs in the standings were likely going to stay there. With the Lakers struggling towards the finish line, a spot in the play-in was inevitable.
Do Spurs fans think the team can advance past the Play-In games?
There’s a sense of confidence since so many players are performing well. Keldon Johnson is someone that has really stepped his game up.
With the play-in, many of the teams are evenly matched, so it’s hard to determine who will come out of it. Of the teams in the field, Minnesota has given San Antonio problems all season.
In particular, Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 60 points in a win over the Spurs last month. Additionally, Towns and D’Angelo Russell led Minnesota to a 25-point win over San Antonio back in November. New Orleans and Los Angeles provide different challenges as well, so advancing out of the tournament will be no small task.
How are fans feeling about this young team making big strides?
Everyone should be proud of what the team has done this year. While the overall record isn’t great, the growth of so many players on the roster is.
Dejounte Murray blossomed in his expanded role and earned an All-Star selection. Johnson has shown that he is capable of scoring on multiple levels and has the potential to become even more. Devin Vassell has excelled when he’s been given an opportunity as well.
Do fans believe the team can move past the Pelicans?
I think there’s a sense of confidence since the teams know each other extremely well. I think the Spurs should win, but it wouldn’t shock me if the Pelicans came out victorious either.
While the Spurs won the season series, most of the games were competitive. However, I still think most feel as though the Spurs should be able to control the pace of the game.
Are fans still celebrating even though it's been a couple of days since the team clinched a Play-In berth?
Fans are just excited and happy for this group. The season had its fair share of ups and downs, but everyone persevered and earned a spot in the play-in.
There’s been so much development in so many players and it’s apparent every night. There’s a lot to be proud of.
Thanks to Marquez for filling us in. Follow him on Twitter at @OhMarquez.
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Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5