Now that the dust has settled in what was the most eventful trade deadline for the Trail Blazers perhaps in franchise history and no more major moves can be made until the offseason, we finally have a clear picture of what this team will look like for the remainder of the 2021-22 season. If the last three games are any indication of something sustainable for Portland, then fans are in for a treat, as the Trail Blazers have not only been incredibly fun to watch, but have reeled off three straight wins over the Lakers, Knicks, and Bucks respectively. This 3-0 run before the All-Star break may not be what some fans eager for a high lottery pick had hoped for, but coach Chauncey Billups has addressed the concerns of fans in this camp saying, “just appreciate what we’re doing… For fans who want to see us lose, I guess just turn the TV off when it gets close.”

Fans who enjoy ball movement, team defense, and effort on both ends: tune in, as these pillars that coach Billups has preached as part of his vision for the culture of this team have really begun to take shape over the last few games. Despite a small sample size, there have been obvious statistical signs that point to increased ball movement and a more stout defense that seem to be a complete turnaround from much of the rest of the year. Over the last three games, Portland ranks fifth in the league in both assists per game (28.3) and made threes per game (14.3) while also having the sixth-best defensive rating (104.0). They’ve come away with 8.7 steals per game and allowed the second-fewest points in the paint (38.0) over their current three-game win streak. Monday’s game against the Bucks marked the first time since 2003 (D. Davis, Z. Randolph, D. Stoudamire, R. Wallace, B. Wells) that all five Portland starters have had four or more assists in a game (A. Simons, J. Hart, C. Elleby, J. Winslow, J. Nurkic).

While this turnaround has coincided with the turnover of the roster and the addition of Justise Winslow and Josh Hart into the starting lineup, coach Billups said after Monday’s game against the Bucks that “It’s not really about the names on the back of the jersey; It’s about the heart, spirit, and effort, and intensity that you put into it,” adding “I’m never surprised when a team plays hard the entire game. I think you give yourself an opportunity every single night… I want to keep setting the standard of how we play.” The stats have been there to support the claim, but even to the eye test, it looks as though coach Billups’ vision of the on-court culture he wants to instill is beginning to take shape more and more. The sheer amount of highlight-reel dunks Greg Brown III has made in the past week should be enough to excite anyone.

Anfernee Simons continues to be a bright spot in Portland as well, emerging as a serious contender for Most Improved Player this season. Simons is averaging 30.0 points and 6.3 assists including 6.0 made threes on 46.2% from beyond the arc through Portland’s last three games. He’s recorded back-to-back games of 30-or-more points and three consecutive 25-or-more-point performances across this three-game win streak, both career firsts for the young guard out of IMG academy. Making his 30th career start against the Bucks on Monday, Simons broke the record for most made threes in a player’s first 30 starts previously held by Devonte Graham (112 3PM). Simons has taken over as Portland’s primary scorer this season, but it was his defense on Jrue Holiday that coach Chauncey Billups applauded in Monday’s game in Milwaukee. “They started attacking him… I wasn’t gonna switch him off of him. This is part of his development... That’s the way you learn,” said coach Billups of Simons guarding on Holiday. Holiday finished with 23 points but committed seven turnovers and Portland came away with a third straight victory.

Portland’s position in the power rankings is more varied this week than it has been in previous weeks depending on the value that different writers attribute to the moves made at the deadline and how they view the relevance of these most recent wins. The Trail Blazers have made a few similar runs at various points in the season that have fizzled out and proven unsustainable, but with one more game against the third-in-the-West Grizzlies on Wednesday before the All-Star break, Portland has a real opportunity to carry this momentum into the next half of the season. The Trail Blazers have traditionally enjoyed post-All-Star success and still sit in the 10th and final play-in spot in the West as they have for much of the season. Coming in as high as No. 19 and as low as No. 26, here’s where the Trail Blazers sit in the 18th edition of the weekly power rankings.

• John Schuhmann at NBA.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 24 this week, one spot better than last week...

The Blazers tore it down even further last week, trading CJ McCollum for a package that included Josh Hart and what could be a pretty good first-round pick. Of course, when a team trades good players, its most valuable pick is its own. But the Blazers’ own pick has lost a little value in the last few days, because they’ve suddenly won two straight games, taking advantage of a couple of struggling teams – the Lakers and Knicks – that didn’t make any trades at the deadline.
The two wins were the second and third times this season that Anfernee Simons has registered a usage rate higher than 30%. And he was both prolific and efficient with that high usage, totaling 59 points on an effective field goal percentage of 59.8% over the two games. Simons could still get more efficient with more trips to the line. His free throw rate of 13.4 attempts per 100 shots from the field ranks just 93rd among 105 players with at least 500 total field goal attempts. (McCollum – 10.3 per 100 – ranks 99th.)
The Blazers traded three starters and haven’t had Damian Lillard for more than six weeks, but they’re still in the final Play-In spot in the West. They still have an easier remaining schedule than the three teams behind them, though it’s tough for the next 3 1/2 weeks (eight straight games against teams that currently have winning records) and much easier after that (14 of their final 17 against teams currently below .500).

Schuhmann has the Trail Blazers behind the Pelicans at No. 23 and ahead of the Kings at No. 25.

• The panel of voters at ESPN has the Trail Blazers at No. 24 this week, the same as last week...

The Blazers began retooling the team at the deadline, sending Norman Powell and Robert Covington to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, Justise Winslow, rookie Keon Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick. Then they sent CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell to New Orleans for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a first-round pick, two second-round picks, Didi Louzada and Tomas Satoransky. They then moved Alexander-Walker to the Jazz and Satoransky to the Spurs, taking back Elijah Hughes, Joe Ingles and a 2022 second-round pick. What happens with Damian Lillard and how the Blazers build around him if he stays in Portland remains to be seen. Coach Chauncey Billups still has the Blazers in the 10th spot, but it will be difficult to remain there to punch a postseason ticket.

The folks at ESPN have the Trail Blazers behind the Spurs at No. 23 and ahead of the Kings at No. 25.

• Zach Harper at The Athletic has the Trail Blazers at No. 26 this week, two spots worse than last week...

Did they do well at the trade deadline? Yes and no. I did not like how the Portland Trail Blazers gave away a chance to develop Nickeil Alexander-Walker so they could hold Joe Ingles’ expiring contract, get Elijah Hughes and bring in a second-round pick that is unlikely to have as much potential as NAW. We’re going to have to wait and see what the true fallout is of this mass exodus in Portland. Did they get enough in return for Norman Powell, Robert Covington and CJ McCollum? Is that enough to reset the roster to build around Damian Lillard? Or is this the kind of thing that ultimately helps him decide he wants a new team? The Blazers made some of the right moves, but it’s fair to question if they received enough in return.
So now what? The Blazers are our new addition to the Tanks A Lot tier because Dame is still out and we don’t know when he’s coming back. The Blazers embraced the tank at least for now, and it was the right move, even if you don’t think they got a lot back in the process. Or maybe enough back. The rest of the season is about building their young players up. Get the most out of Anfernee Simons. Unfortunately, Keon Johnson is out for a while, and Nassir Little is out for the rest of the season. But every young player needs a lot of chances to compete here.

Harper has the Trail Blazers behind the Kings at No. 25 and ahead of the Thunder at No. 27.

• Elizabeth Swinton at Sports Illustrated has the Trail Blazers at No. 19 this week, four spots better than last week...

The Trail Blazers said goodbye to a franchise cornerstone in trading CJ McCollum to the Pelicans. Portland also parted ways with Larry Nance Jr. and Tony Snell in the deal while gaining Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, along with picks. That’s in addition to dealing Powell and Covington to the Clippers. The moves seem to help the Blazers build for their future, though they finished the week on a high note with wins against the Lakers and Knicks.

Swinton has the Trail Blazers behind the Nets at No. 18 and ahead of the Pelicans at No. 20.