This week’s slate of games included three straight double-digit losses to Western Conference opponents in which the Blazers were left short-handed due to injury and Covid-related absences. Prior to signing the 6’8” Reggie Perry to a 10-day contract, Portland was without a player over 6’7” on the active roster, and their inability to match height on the court showed. It was an inopportune time to be without a true center, as the Jazz and Mavericks with Gobert, Whiteside, Porzingis, and Marjanovic were able to load the court with seven-footers and take advantage of Portland’s lack of size in the paint. The Blazers allowed 130.3 ppg over this three-game span, 64.0 of which came in the paint.

Portland finished out the calendar year with a loss to the Lakers on New Year’s Eve. The Lakers got out in front early, starting the game on a 22-7 run that felt indicative of how the night might go. Ben McLemore entered the game at the 8:45 mark of the first quarter and poured in 16 first-quarter points on his way to a 28-point performance. His 16 first-quarter points were the most by a player off the bench in the first quarter of a game this season. Unfortunately, the defense fell short again allowing Lebron James to score 43 points and the Lakers to score 139 points overall, both season highs for James and the Lakers respectively. Damian Lillard contributed 18 points in 32 minutes, breaking an eight-game streak of scoring 20-or-more points. Lillard sat out the subsequent game managing the abdominal tendinopathy that has now kept him out for seven games this season. With CJ McCollum still sidelined with right lung pneumothorax, this marks the 16th game this season Portland has been without their star guard duo on the court together. They are 4-12 in those games and 10-10 in games where both Lillard and McCollum have played.

These losses to the lineup have, at the very least, provided an opportunity for some of the younger players and new additions to play extended minutes. Ben McLemore has scored 28 points twice over the last five games, pouring in 14 threes across his two 28-point performances. Nassir Little recorded his first career 20-point 10-rebound game on Dec. 27 against the Mavericks, including a career-high-tying three blocks and two steals. Anfernee Simons is coming off of a career night of 43 points and seven assists on Monday, which he dedicated to his grandfather who had passed on Sunday. The hope is that these performances have helped build confidence and chemistry on the court for these players that can carry over once the roster is whole again.

With plenty of season left, there is still time for Portland to get healthy and right the ship, but the urgency to go on a run is increasing. After going 2-11 in the month of December, Portland is in unfamiliar territory near the bottom of the power rankings, coming in as low as No. 27 and as high as No. 24. Here’s where the Trail Blazers sit in the 12th edition of the weekly power rankings to finish the calendar year.

• John Schuhmann at NBA.com has the Trail Blazers at No. 27 this week, three spots worse than last week...

The Blazers have fallen back to 30th on defense, having allowed an amazing 130.7 points per 100 possessions over a four-game losing streak that has included losses to two teams — the Pelicans and Lakers – that rank in the bottom 10 offensively. Their four opponents averaged 46 points per game (on 74% shooting) in the restricted area. League averages: 33 restricted-area points per game on 64% shooting.
But defense hasn’t been the only problem. As they lost 11 of their 13 games in December, the Blazers were the only team that ranked in the bottom five in both offensive and defensive efficiency for the month. Among 202 players with at least 75 field goal attempts in December, Anfernee Simons had the worst effective field goal percentage (40.7%). And Robert Covington (46.1%), Norman Powell (47.4%) and Damian Lillard (51.4%) were also below the league average (52.9%). The Blazers finished the month with three games in which they trailed by 29, 22 and 35 points, falling into holes early on. In fact, they haven’t held a lead over their last 142 minutes of game time.
The Blazers’ January schedule is easier than their December schedule in regard to cumulative opponent winning percentage, but it’s more road-heavy, and this team is just 2-13 away from the Moda Center. The month does start with a four-game homestand.

Schuhmann has the Trail Blazers behind the Thunder at No. 26 and ahead of the Rockets at No. 28.

• The panel of voters at ESPN has the Trail Blazers at No. 25 this week, one spot worse than last week...

The season continues to spiral for Portland. The Blazers dropped their fourth straight game on New Year's Eve, when they fell by 33 points to the Lakers. Portland enters 2022 having lost 11 of the past 13 tilts. With Jusuf Nurkic, Cody Zeller and Dennis Smith Jr. in health and safety protocols and CJ McCollum (lung) still out, Damian Lillard will have to continue to shoulder a massive load to resuscitate Portland's sinking season.

The folks at ESPN have the Trail Blazers behind the Pacers at No. 24 and ahead of the Pelicans at No. 26.

• Zach Harper at The Athletic has the Trail Blazers at No. 24 this week, one spot worse than last week...

Blow this thing up. I’m not sure Joe Cronin has the true authority right now in an interim role to make huge wholesale changes for the Portland Trail Blazers roster. That feels like something ownership would rather have in the hands of someone getting the job full time. So if Cronin isn’t on the path to being the main person moving forward, it wouldn’t make sense to have him swinging huge trades. But the Blazers should do it. It doesn’t have to mean Damian Lillard goes, but CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic and Robert Covington (if you can get someone to believe he’s still a difference-maker) should probably be on the move. What’s existing now isn’t working, and it doesn’t sound like there’s a ton of confidence that it’ll get back to where it needs to be when McCollum comes back to full strength. The Blazers should’ve made some moves a long time ago, and now they’re just barely competitive a lot of nights.

Harper has the Trail Blazers behind the Pacers at No. 23 and ahead of the Kings at No. 25.

• Chris Mannix at Sports Illustrated has the Trail Blazers at No. 26 this week, two spots worse than last week...

Don’t look too closely at the Blazers upcoming schedule. Portland has home dates with Atlanta, Miami and Cleveland this week before the conference’s worst road team heads out on a six-game trip. Damian Lillard remains banged up and the Blazers have lost four straight. Not good.

Mannix has the Trail Blazers behind the Pelicans at No. 25 and ahead of the Thunder at No. 27.

• Kyle Irving at Sporting News has the Trail Blazers at No. 25 this week, two spots worse than last week...

New Year's Resolution: Keep the playoff streak alive
The Blazers have made the playoffs for the past eight seasons, but as it stands now, they’re not even in contention for the Play-In Tournament spot. They’ve had five first-round exits in that time frame and even though Damian Lillard may say his career won’t be defined by rings, the competitor in him would still want to be in contention.

Irving has the Trail Blazers behind the Pacers at No. 24 and ahead of the Thunder at No. 26.