The latest edition of the ESPN’s power rankings are out, and the Trail Blazers have ticked up slightly, from 16 to 13. The rankings also laid out a best-case and worst-case scenario for each team:
Best-case scenario: The returns of Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins don’t just make the Blazers better in terms of talent and depth, it also reconfigures their entire identity. They are a big team, with coach Terry Stotts willing to go extra big with Nurkic and Hassan Whiteside playing together.