You can certainly parse the variables responsible for their recent successes, but regardless, there's no debate that the Trail Blazers are coming off their first great week of the 2019-20 season. After starting the week in twelfth place in the Western Conference standings, the Blazers are currently in eighth, half a game ahead of the Kings and ninth and half a game behind the Thunder in seventh, after winning four straight and five of their last six.
Is some of that recent success due to playing sub .500 teams at home? Sure, but it's not as if the Trail Blazers are operating with anywhere close to their full compliment of players -- Carmelo Anthony has missed seven of Portland's last eight quarters -- and winning the games they're "supposed to win" has been tougher than many assumed, so there's no reason to judge victories too harshly. They're certainly not where they need to be if they want to do more than just make the postseason, but no one spared Portland's feeling when they were losing tough games on the road, so dinging them for winning easier games at home doesn't feel especially consistent.
So here's where the Trail Blazers come out in a Christmas and Hanukah edition of the weekly Power Rankings. Allow yourself to celebrate.
• The panel of voters at ESPN has the Trail Blazers No. 15 this week, five spots better than last week...
The voters at ESPN have the Trail Blazers behind the Thunder at No. 14 and ahead of the Kings at No. 16.
• John Shuhmann at NBA.com also has the Trail Blazers at No. 15 this week, though that's six spots better than last week...
Schumann has the Trail Blazers behind the Net at No. 14 and ahead of the Spurs at No. 16.
• The Trail Blazers are No. 15 in another ranking, this one from Colin Ward-Henninger at CBS Sports, which is also a five-spot improvement from last week...
Ward-Henninger has the Trail Blazers in the same spot as Shuhmann: behind he Nets at No. 14 and ahead of the Spurs at No. 16.
• There's a pattern forming! Tommy Beer at Rotoworld also has the Trail Blazers at No. 15 this week, four spots better than last week...
Beer has the Trail Blazers behind the Thunder at No. 14 and ahead of the Magic at No. 16.
• Zach Harper at The Athletic breaks the streak by putting the Trail Blazers at No. 14 this week, two spots better than last week...
Harper has the Trail Blazers behind the Thunder at No. 13 and ahead of the Nets at No. 15.
• Phil Watson at Hoops Habit has the Trail Blazers at No. 17 this week, a two-spot improvement over last week...
Watson has the Trail Blazers behind the Pistons at No. 16 and ahead of the Suns at No. 18.
• Grant Hughes at Bleacher Report also has the Trail Blazers at No. 15 this week, four spots better than last week...
Hughes has the Trail Blazers behind the Nets at No. 14 and ahead of the Magic at No. 15.