After the first week of play in the NBA regular season, the Athletic’s Zach Harper has released his power rankings, and the Portland Trail Blazers come in at a surprising 16th place, perhaps because Harper apparently completed his rankings prior to the painful loss the Blazers suffered to the Los Angeles Clippers.
16. Portland Trail Blazers (Previously 16th), 1-1, +12.5 net rating
Weekly Slate: Loss to Kings, Win over Suns
First-impression from Week 1: After the way the Trail Blazers lost to Sacramento to start the season, I did not expect them to handle the Suns the way they did.