2 things for Spurs fans to root for, one to root against to close the season

There have been a lot of mixed emotions watching the San Antonio Spurs this season but it's almost over. The emotional cocktail of frustrated excitement will soon be replaced by a sense of longing because no matter how bad your team is, you'll always miss them when they're gone.

It's an odd place for the fan base. In recent memory, the need for the off-season hasn't been more important than it is now. You can expect the guys to go back to work, aggressively crafting their game to elevate into who they need to be. After what Victor Wembanyama has been showing the world, everyone is excited to see the next step in his evolution.

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait months to see what improvements the future face of the NBA might make to his game and his body. It's better not to get ahead of yourself and focus on enjoying what's left of the season with a keen eye on what needs to happen to transition into the offseason as smoothly as possible.

3. Root for the Hornets

This season has been far from a success but once you get to a certain point in the season, your focus shifts, depending on how the team is performing. It did not take very long to see the Spurs were not built for any sort of winning this season, so eyes shifted to the college landscape as fans began to consider who San Antonio may be able to select high in the next draft. It becomes a fortunate circumstance to lose so many games that you have a chance at the number one draft pick.

The best chance to get that draft pick resides in at the bottom of the league standings. The teams with the three worst records in the league receive the highest chance at the coveted draft spot. Currently, the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards have worse records than San Antonio and it is unlikely that will change.

The last spot left is being subjected to a proverbial game of tug-of-war between the 2-1-0's finest and the Charlotte Hornets. With LaMelo Ball out for the season, fans may have to just accept that a 14% chance at the top pick may not be in the cards this time. The remaining opponents on the Hornets' schedule are a combined 284-172.