NBA Power Rankings roundup: How do the experts rank the Blazers this week?

The Portland Trail Blazers are now 7-11 to start the 2024-25 season, which is third worst in the Western Conference, ahead of only the Utah Jazz (4-12) and banged-up New Orleans Pelicans (4-14). Seven wins a month into the season would be disappointing for the majority of the teams in the NBA. Still, for the rebuilding Blazers, it's ahead of where many expected them to be, especially after considering their strength of schedule with all but one matchup so far (a win over the Atlanta Hawks) coming against a Western Conference team.

Where the Blazers rank as of Nov. 26

The Blazers started the season towards the bottom of the league. After Week 1 of the NBA season, the majority of experts from five major sports outlets (NBA, ESPN, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, and CBS Sports) had them ranked at No. 27. Here's where they sit now, according to these experts:

Is this as good as it gets for the Blazers?

The Blazers have an average ranking of 23.2 in the league, with 20th being the highest and 25 being the lowest. Law Murray of The Athletic was the only expert who had the Blazers taking a dip, and a significant one at that, with them dropping seven spots. That largely could do with the fact that those rankings are the only ones coming after the Blazers suffered another embarrassing blowout loss to the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, falling 123-98.

The Blazers have gone 5-8 this month, including a three-game winning streak in the middle of it. Offseason additions Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija are figuring out their respective roles and seeming more comfortable with their new teams.

Clingan has looked great from the start of the season but is finally able to put it all together with an increased role as Deandre Ayton recovers from his right finger sprain. Avdija was always contributing for the Blazers with intangibles, but his shot is finally starting to catch up.

Shaedon Sharpe and Robert Williams III have recovered from injuries and look like the best versions of themselves this month. And although the Blazers experienced more injuries and were short-handed against the Grizzlies, the good news is that they are all somewhat minor.

Still, the Blazers' roster strength lies in their depth and the ability for any player to step up on a given night, as has been the case already this season, with Dalano Banton being the most notable example. They need to get fully healthy to give themselves a better chance to continue pulling off upsets and rise in the rankings. If not, this ranking might represent their ceiling.