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Portland Trail Blazers: A look at where experts rank the Blazers heading into Week 6

By Marlow Ferguson Jr.

Jan 25, 2021; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter (11), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2), and guard Damian Lillard (0) go after a missed free throw by Gilgeous-Alexander late during the second half at Moda Center. The Thunder won 125-122. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2021; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter (11), Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2), and guard Damian Lillard (0) go after a missed free throw by Gilgeous-Alexander late during the second half at Moda Center. The Thunder won 125-122. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Portland Trail Blazers
Carmelo Anthony, Portland Trail Blazers (Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports) /

In an era in which the 3-pointer renders no lead safe, and homecourt advantage is nothing more than stylish wordplay, the 2020-21 season is emphatically proving that anyone can be defeated on any night. And despite all of the hoorah and preseason talk about having a “sense of urgency” and striking early, the Portland Trail Blazers have proven to be a convenient example.

One’s opinion on the Trail Blazers is strictly dependent on which night they watch them. Here’s a group that, over a 16-game spread, has outclassed the defending-champion Lakers on their home floor, and then nights later, blew a 20-point advantage to an Eastern Conference bottom feeder.

Needless to say, last night’s defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder — who were also down multiple starters — won’t help the Blazers earn respect, but it begins to tell the story of how experts view them.

The Portland Trail Blazers enter Week 6 with the fifth-best record in the Western Conference. What are NBA experts saying about them?

That game won’t appear on the ledger of most Power Ranking editions this week, but it remains valuable information. The Blazers blew a valuable chance to at least get within earshot of that conversation with the Western Conference powerhouses by becoming the fourth team to reach double-digits wins.

Instead, they’ll seek to do so over their next two games against the dangerous, yet exploitable Rockets and Bulls, who’ve combined to go 13-19 to begin the 2020-21 season. In the meantime, here’s the chatter on what experts are saying about the Portland Trail Blazers after six weeks.