The 2021-22 NBA season has been open for almost ten days now, which means the Portland Trail Blazers and 29 other franchises are getting a look at the initial power rankings for the new year. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report is one of the first writers out of the gate, and he’s a bit bullish on the Blazers, though not enough to rank them much above their current 2-2 record.
Bailey puts Portland in the 17th slot, right below the Minnesota Timberwolves and above the 18th-ranked Boston Celtics. The ranking is a slip from the team’s 12th-place preseason ranking.