If the Trail Blazers had been playing horseshoes or lobbing hand grenades, their performances last week wouldn't have been all that detrimental. But considering their primary stock-in-trade is NBA basketball, losing four games last week (we'll get to the SECOND loss to the Grizzlies on Sunday next week), albeit by a combined total of 12 points, greatly diminished their chances of ending the regular season in the Top 6, and thus, avoiding the play-in tournament. What's more, after spending the majority of 2021 in fifth or sixth, the Trail Blazers are a couple more losses away from dropping all the way down to tenth, which is the last spot included in the play-in. Though if they end up falling that far with 12 games to play, making the postseason probably becomes less of a goal and more of a requirement.
But there's still time to get things moving in the right direction. Is losing five-straight, with the last four of those occurring at the Moda Center, before heading out on a 10-day, six-game road trip usually the best environment for such a turnaround? Probably not, but if the Trail Blazers want to at all salvage what up until a few weeks ago looked like a relatively successful season, they'll have to start that reclamation project on the road, and soon.
Here's how the Trail Blazers came out in the most recent edition of the weekly Power Rankings...
• The panel of voters at ESPN has the Trail Blazers at No. 12 this week, two spots worse than last week...
The folks at ESPN have the Trail Blazers behind the Hawks at No. 11 and ahead of the Heat at No. 13.
• John Schuhmann at NBA.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 16 this week, three spots worse than last week...
Schuhmann has the Trail Blazers behind the Heat at No. 15 and ahead of the Spurs at No. 17.
• Colin Ward-Henninger at CBS Sports has the Trail Blazers at No. 19, another three-spot drop from last week's rankings...
Ward-Henninger has the Trail Blazers behind the Hornets at No. 18 and ahead of Tuesday's opponent, the Pacers, at No. 20.
• Mo Dakhil at Bleacher Report has the Trail Blazers at No. 16 this week, which is (you guessed it) three spots worse than their previous ranking...
Dakhil has the Trail Blazers behind the Warriors at No. 15 and ahead of the Hornets at No. 17.
• Zach Harper at The Athletic has the Trail Blazers at No. 16 this week, a two-spot drop from last week...
Harper has the Trail Blazers behind the Warriors at No. 15 and ahead of the Spurs at No. 17.
• Corey Rausch at Hoops Habit has the Trail Blazers at No. 18 this week, four spots worse than last week...
Rausch has the Trail Blazers behind the Spurs at No. 17 and ahead of the Hornets at No. 19.
• The folks up north at The Score have the Trail Blazers at No. 13 this week, a two-spot drop from last week...
The Score has the Trail Blazers behind the Hawks at No. 12 and ahead of the Heat at No. 14.