Everyone knew coming into the 2022-23 NBA season that the Spurs would be in rebuilding mode. They had traded away their All-Star point guard for draft compensation (not to mention their second best ball-handler at the 2022 All-Star Break) and didn’t add much else to the roster in the offseason outside of the three first round draft picks and some end-of-the-bench depth. Even before the season began, Gregg Popovich pointed out (at the risk of being fined) that this team shouldn’t be expected to contend for anything.
As a result, Spurs fans entered the season with likely their lowest expectations since 1987.