Trail Blazers: Power Ranking Northwest Division after week two

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 21: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz on January 21, 2019 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JANUARY 21: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz on January 21, 2019 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Portland Trail Blazers
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

4. Portland Trail Blazers (3-3)

Record Last Week (1-2)

The Portland Trail Blazers went 1-2 on the week, but showed the Rip City heart we all love to see. The Blazers fell short to two very good teams in the Spurs and Sixers as both games came down to the final possession.

The week came with many positives and negatives for the Trail Blazers. On the brighter side for the Blazers, Damian Lillard is continuing to showcase his ability to score and has prevailed himself somewhere around the top of the MVP ladder.

On the darker side for the Blazers, the news surrounding Zach Collins’s injury was released which stated he is going to need shoulder surgery for the injury that occurred against the Mavericks and that he would be out indefinitely.

The injury curse continues in Portland as Rodney Hood and Hassan Whiteside both missed some time this week due to minor injuries. A recent report stated that both of them will  be returning Monday, but the last thing the Trail Blazers need is lingering injuries for two of their main role players.

A major boost for the Trail Blazers was the play of 20-year-old Anfernee Simons who averaged 10 points an outing and shot phenomenally finishing on 57 percent of his field goals while knocking down 44 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Ultimately, the Blazers played very well and were a possession or two away from being 3-0 on the week instead of 1-2.

This week’s upcoming schedule

  • @ Golden State (Mon, Nov. 4)
  • @ LAC (Thu, Nov. 7)
  • Vs Brooklyn (Fri, Nov. 8)
  • Vs Atlanta (Sun, Nov. 10)