Blazers Drop in Power Rankings After Two Losses

The Portland Trail Blazers have dropped to 11th in The Athletic's NBA Power Rankings after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs two days in a row. 

It's not the end of the world for the Blazers. Portland had to face two faces of the league last week: Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama.

Portland played on the road in Los Angeles last Friday. Doncic scored 53 points en route to a victory in the NBA Cup. The Blazers had to turn around and go back to Portland the following day to play Wembanyama and the Spurs. Wembanyama finished with 29 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.

Last week, Portland was ranked seventh, slipping four spots.

In the two losses, Portland gave up 249 total points combined and was outrebounded. To their credit, playing back-to-back and switching from the road back to Portland is not an easy task. Playing against two of the best players in the league adds to it.

After starting the season winning six of their first seven games, the Blazers enter the fourth week of the NBA season at 6-3.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Wednesday, Nov. 11, Portland plays the Oklahoma City Thunder in a rare doubleheader at Moda Center, then plays the Sacramento Kings in its second road game of the NBA Cup.

Even though it's still the beginning of November, the Blazers face a gut-check this week.

Against the Spurs, the Portland starters couldn't muster any juice, so they were pulled as the game was getting out of hand. Think of it as a pseudo rest day as they prepare to take on another MVP-caliber player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, twice this week.

As for injuries, Ja Morant will be out of this week's games. Vit Krejci suffered a lower-left leg fracture against the Phoenix Suns last week and will be out until after the New Year. Robert Williams III is probable for Tuesday's game with left knee injury management.

Portland has learned how to play without Morant in the lineup up to this point. The Blazers are 3-2 without Morant in the lineup so far this season.

Without Morant, Damian Lillard has been pedestrian from the field. In the five games without Morant paired with him, Lillard is shooting 33% from behind the arc on seven attempts per game.

If the Blazers can split the pair against Oklahoma City and defeat the Kings, they'll be 8-4 heading into the weekend, and still talked about as a real threat in the West.