Another up and down week, which featured back-to-back road losses to the Nuggets and Kings followed up by home victories versus the Cavaliers and Pelicans, results in the Trail Blazers making little progress in the latest round of NBA Power Rankings.
But with a huge road win versus the Jazz on Martin Luther King Jr. day, another Northwest Division showdown Tuesday versus the Thunder in Oklahoma City and two games in which they're likely to be favored versus the Suns and Hawks to round out the week, the Trail Blazers have an opportunity to make a move, both in the standings and the weekly rankings, before starting a stretch in which they play just once over the course of nine days.
So here's hoping this is the last humdrum edition of the weekly Power Rankings, at least for a few weeks. I'm sure you're as bored of reading "unchanged from last week" as I am of writing it.
• The panel of voters at ESPN has the Trail Blazers at No. 11 this week, unchanged from last week...
ESPN has the Trail Blazers behind the Jazz at No. 10 and ahead of the Spurs at No. 12.
• John Schuhmann at NBA.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 9 this week, unchanged from last week...
Schuhmann has the Trail Blazers behind the Pacers at No. 8 and ahead of the Thunder at No. 10.
• Tommy Beer at Rotoworld.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 10 this week, one spot better than last week...
Beer has the Trail Blazers behind the Thunder at No. 9 and ahead of the Jazz at No. 11.
• Gerald Bourguet at HoopsHabit.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 7 this week, one spot better than last week...
Bourguet has the Trail Blazers behind the 76ers at No. 6 and ahead of the Jazz at No. 8.
• Brad Rowland at UPROXX.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 8 this week, five spots better than last week...
Rowland has the Trail Blazers behind the 76ers at No. 7 and ahead of the Jazz at No. 9.
• Khadrice Rollins at SI.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 10 this week, four spots worse than last week...
Rollins has the Trail Blazers behind the Nuggets at No. 9 and ahead of the Nets at No. 11.
• Zach Harper at TheAthletic.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 8 this week, two spots better than last week...
Harper has the Trail Blazers behind the Celtics at No. 7 and ahead of the Thunder at No. 9.