Due to arguably the oddest scheduling quirk I can recall in over a decade of working for the team, the Portland Trail Blazers will play just one time -- at home on Wednesday versus the Utah Jazz -- over the course of nine days. No one is going to complain about some time off coming out of a stretch in which they played eight games over the course of 14 days, but to have so much down time all at once might throw off the rhythm of a team that had started to build a little momentum after going 11-4 in their last 15 contests.
But with an unforgiving post-All-Star break schedule on the horizon, the chance to get some rest and receive treatment for nagging injuries is undoubtably a good thing, even if they lose a little bit of their edge over the next two weeks. After fading in the final days of the regular season last year, not to mention the playoffs, being a bit fresher this time around at crunch time certainly couldn't hurt.
On to this week's rankings...
• The panel of voters at ESPN have the Trail Blazers at No. 9 this week, two spots better than last week...
ESPN has the Trail Blazers behind the 76ers at No. 8 and ahead of the Jazz at No. 10.
• John Schuhmann of NBA.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 10 this week, one spot worse than last week...
Schuhmann has the Trail Blazers behind the Raptors at No. 9 and ahead of the Jazz at No. 11.
• Reid Forgrave at CBS Sports.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 10 this week, one spot better than last week...
Forgrave has the Trail Blazers behind the Jazz at No. 9 and ahead of the Spurs at No. 11.
• Tommy Beer at Rotoworld.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 9 this week, one spot better than last week...
Beer has the Trail Blazers behind the Rockets at No. 8 and ahead of the Jazz at No. 10.
• Gerald Bourguet at Hoops Habit.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 8 this week, one spot worse than last week...
Bourguet has the Trail Blazers behind the 76ers at No. 8 and ahead of the Jazz at No. 9.
• Khadrice Rollins at SI.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 10 this week, unchanged from last week...
Rollins has the Trail Blazers behind the Nuggets at No. 9 and ahead of the Nets at No. 11.
• Zach Harper of The Athletic.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 8 this week, unchanged from last week...
(The second part of this analysis notes this is no longer the case, though you'll have to click through for that part, and subscription is required).
Harper has the Trail Blazers behind the Pacers at No. 9 and behind the Celtics at No. 7.
• Grant Hughes at Bleacher Report, in rankings posted on January 26, has the Trail Blazers at No. 11 this week, unchanged from last week...
Hughes has the Trail Blazers behind the Thunder at No. 10 and ahead of the Spurs at No. 11.