NBA Bubble Power Rankings 2: More games, more change

Last Week: Beat San Antonio 132-130, Beat Washington 107-98, Beat Orlando 108-101
This Week: Sunday vs. Portland, Tuesday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday vs. Toronto, Friday vs. Houston

Ever frustrating, the Philadelphia 76ers have had a weird time in the bubble, low-lighted by the injury to Ben Simmons. As the timetable on his return is up in the air, so is any potential the Sixers have to go far.

The team has looked unimpressive thus far in Orlando, despite winning three games in a row. The new surprise lineup that was supposed to fix everything was not doing that even before the injury to Simmons. Joel Embiid is putting up MVP numbers but rarely putting up MVP effort. The rest of the highly paid crew has been inconsistent at best.

Yet, the optimists out there will claim that the Sixers could simply be playing possum. While it is possible for the team to move ahead of the Pacers, they may desire the matchup against the Celtics. Boston has struggled against size all season, and if there is one thing going for Philadelphia, it is size. They cannot fall to seven so playing for the matchup of choice makes some sense.

This could all be meaningless. The Sixers have sleepwalked through most of this season and any sort of early exit should lead to a major shakeup despite the injury excuse. This is a team with championship upside and lottery cohesion. Eventually, something has to give.

Last Week: Lost to Boston 128-124, Beat Houston 110-102. Beat Denver 125-115, Lost to Clippers 122-117
This Week: Sunday vs. Philadelphia, Tuesday vs. Dallas, Thursday vs. Brooklyn

The week was great for the Portland Trail Blazers until the end. They played the Celtics to a standstill after being down a lot early and were almost able to finish off the comeback. They knocked off the red-hot Rockets as well as the Nuggets.

Unfortunately, Portland crumbled down the stretch against the Clippers, specifically Damian Lillard missing two late free throws when the team needed those most. The Clippers bench had their fun making light of those misses. They know they are unlikely to have to face the wrath of that mocking.

The Blazers have work left to do due to that loss but still sit in a comfortable position. With the loss, they are only 1.5 games behind the Grizzlies and lead the pack nipping at Memphis’s heels. After a tough slate of opponents, they should have an easier week ahead.

The two stories of the Blazers for the week have to be Gary Trent, Jr. and Carmelo Anthony. Trent is shooting 62.2 percent (28-of-45) from long range and prompted Stan Van Gundy to call him the best shooter on the planet. Hyperbolic as that might be, he has been the spark off the bench the Blazers needed and an extra dimension to their team.

Anthony has not been his old All-Star self but he has given enough evidence that he still belongs in this league and can be relied on in the right situation. There is still sometimes a little too much isolation to his game but he is a valued member of this team. To all those who said he was washed before the season started, that crow must taste delicious.