NBA Power Rankings midseason reset: Milwaukee Bucks who we thought they’d be

Last week: Lost to Charlotte 87-76. lost at Orlando 116-112 (OT)

This week: Thursday vs. Milwaukee

The Detroit Pistons are one of just three teams on the countdown who are, in the words of the late NFL coach Dennis Green, are who we thought they were. The Pistons checked in at No. 21 in the preseason NBA Power Rankings and remain at No. 21 at the All-Star break.

With 25 games left, the Pistons face an uphill climb with a remaining schedule that has compiled a winning percentage of .546. That is the second-toughest remaining slate in the NBA, according to Tankathon.

Home (11): Feb. 20 Milwaukee, March 4 Oklahoma City, March 7 Utah, March 17 Orlando, March 20 Golden State, March 22 Lakers, March 25 Portland, March 27 Clippers, March 29 Houston, April 3 Miami, April 13 Boston
Away (14): Feb. 23 at Portland, Feb. 25 at Denver, Feb. 28 at Phoenix, March 1 at Sacramento, March 8 at New York, March 11 at Philadelphia, March 14 at Toronto, March 23 at Milwaukee, April 1 at Brooklyn, April 5 at Minnesota, April 7 at Atlanta, April 9 at Miami, April 11 at Dallas, April 14 at New York

Detroit is six games behind the eighth-place Magic in the East, are only 11-19 at home and short-handed due to trades and injuries. Their playoff hopes? Not happening unless something odd comes together.

Game of the first half: On opening night at Indiana, the Pistons got huge performance from Andre Drummond (traded to Cleveland on Feb. 6). The big man played 41 minutes and went for 32 points, 23 rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists as Detroit stunned the Pacers 119-110. Drummond was 12-for-18 from the floor and a very solid 8-of-10 from the foul line.

Last week: Beat Miami 115-109, lost at New Orleans 138-117, lost at Memphis 111-104

This week: Friday vs. New Orleans

Aside from the Warriors, no team has been a bigger dud based on their place in the preseason NBA Power Rankings than the Portland Trail Blazers. Ranked No. 10 in the preseason, the Blazers have been undone by a series of injuries, but remain in the playoff mix thanks to the stellar play of Damian Lillard, who would be an MVP candidate if not for Portland’s paltry record.

The Blazers have a chance for a strong finish. With 26 games left, Portland’s remaining opponents have combined for a .467 winning percentage, making theirs just the 25th most-difficult remaining schedule according to Tankathon.

Home (15): Feb. 21 New Orleans, Feb. 23 Detroit, Feb. 25 Boston, March 4 Washington, March 7 Sacramento, March 10 Phoenix, March 12 Memphis, March 15 Houston, March 17 Minnesota, March 19 Dallas, April 2 Utah, April 5 Memphis, April 7 Cleveland, April 9 Denver, April 15 Clippers
Away (11): Feb. 27 at Indiana, Feb. 29 at Atlanta, March 2 at Orlando, March 6 at Phoenix, March 22 at Minnesota, March 24 at Charlotte, March 25 at Detroit, March 27 at Boston, March 29 at Philadelphia, March 30 at Brooklyn, April 13 at Golden State

The Trail Blazers are four games behind eighth-place Memphis in the Western Conference with no other teams in between the two and the teams will meet twice — both times in Portland — before the end of the season. Jusuf Nurkic is still on target for a return and the Blazers should get Zach Collins back in March, which would be a nice size infusion.

Game of the first half: Damian Lillard has four games this season with at least 50 points and a pair of 60-point outings, but it was his all-around effort in a 139-129 win over the Pacers on Jan. 26 at Moda Center that stands out.

Lillard finished with 50 points while also dishing 13 assists and grabbing six rebounds for the Blazers. He was 14-for-23 overall, 8-for-12 from 3-point range and 14-of-16 from the free-throw line. His 27 points in the second half helped Portland hold off the visitors down the stretch.