The 2019-20 rookie class is defined by defensemen. While Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes have put up big numbers, there is another pair of blueliners within our top six who deserve recognition, and they're a pair of guys you could have seen play together in the past.

Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Penguins blueliner John Marino spent the past three NCAA seasons patrolling the blue line at Harvard. Fox was initially drafted by the Flames but later flipped first to the Hurricanes and then to the Rangers. Instead of returning to Harvard for his senior season, he signed with New York and played a significant role as a key building block in their restructuring. Marino, meanwhile, was perhaps the even bigger surprise to leave the Crimson. Originally drafted by the Oilers in 2015, Marino was flipped to the Penguins for a conditional 2021 pick in late July.

Fox was the flashy offensive defenseman who led Harvard in scoring and was one of the final three Hobey Baker finalists last season. His production made him the big name. Marino, was right behind him on the depth chart but made a much bigger defensive impact for the team. Marino's career high in points with the Crimson was 16 in his sophomore season.

Their similar paths have now led into pretty solid first seasons in the NHL. While they might not get the recognition of Hughes and Makar, each of whom also came from the college ranks, they've become key pieces for their teams' present and future. Here are the top 10 rookies so far this season. All statistics cited are from NHL.com, hockey-reference.com and Natural Stattrick and current through Jan. 5.

1. Cale Makar, D, Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 1

Despite missing a significant chunk of time because of injury, Makar remains only three points off of Victor Olofsson's scoring total. He still leads all rookies in points per game and has returned to Colorado's lineup as its top defenseman without missing a beat. He deserves a long look as the All-Star Game's last man in for the Central Division because he's undoubtedly a huge part of Colorado's success so far this season.

2. Quinn Hughes, D, Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 2

Hughes is becoming one of the NHL's most effective transition defensemen. His ability to collect pucks and get the Canucks going the other direction is unique. Even the way he scoops pucks off the boards is different, and his feet still leave forecheckers bewildered with which direction he's going to go. No rookie is playing more minutes per game. Meanwhile, his relative Corsi for percentage is 6.9%, which is right near the top of the rookie class. He has made an especially positive impact on the Canucks this season and has far exceeded any expectations I could have had for him, even as a prospect I've thought so highly of for years.

3. Victor Olofsson, LW, Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 3

The rookie of the month for December, Olofsson continues to produce at a solid rate. He leads all rookies with 35 points and is second in points per game. Meanwhile, he is averaging nearly three minutes more ice time per game than any other rookie forward. And for as much of a power-play performer as he was early in the season, he's second among all rookies with 21 even-strength points. Unfortunately, the Sabres just lost Olofsson (lower-body injury) for six weeks.

4. Adam Fox, D, New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 5

Averaging over half a point per game and getting top-four minutes on a nightly basis, Fox has exceeded Year 1 expectations. He has shown a level of poise with the puck that was always evident in lower levels, and his average north-south speed has not been an issue thanks to good edges and anticipation. He has helped the Rangers in the puck-possession game with a 6.2 relative Corsi for, which is tops among rookies. Fox moves the puck remarkably well, racking up assists and aiding in the transition game. His move from college to the NHL has gone better than I anticipated, especially in a difficult situation with the rebuilding Rangers.

5. Nick Suzuki, RW, Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 9

Suzuki is flourishing as his rookie season progresses. He has given Claude Julien, a coach who notoriously has a short leash for younger players, no choice but to play him. Montreal's injury issues might have helped a bit, but Suzuki has made the most of his time as a consistent top-six forward and power-play option. Suzuki had a seven-point week to close out December and played a career-high 20:43 in his first game of January. He's trending up quickly.

6. John Marino, D, Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 8

I'd be lying if I said I saw this coming. Marino has already passed his single-season point total for any of the three years he played at Harvard in his first NHL campaign, and he's playing a top-four role for one of the league's prestige teams. Marino is one of only four rookie defensemen averaging over 20 minutes per game and is seventh among all rookies with 15 even-strength points.

7. Martin Necas, C/W, Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 7

He's a bottom-six player on a really good squad, but I think most teams would love to see a bottom-six guy produce the way Necas has as a rookie. The Czech forward has settled in on the wing on Carolina's third line with Erik Haula and Ryan Dzingel. Necas is tied for fourth among all rookies with 23 points (18 at even strength) but is second among all rookies with 2.22 points per 60 minutes.

8. Ethan Bear, D, Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 6

Of the rookies in the NHL, few are drawing tougher assignments than Bear. And yet the Oilers are controlling shot attempts at a rate 4.7% higher with Bear on the ice than off. He's second only to Darnell Nurse among Oilers defensemen in average time on ice, he starts over half his shifts in the defensive zone and he is a largely reliable defenseman on a team that has been relatively leaky.

9. Ilya Mikheyev, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 4

It might be a while before we again see Mikheyev on the rookie rankings after that scary laceration he suffered just over a week ago. He really seemed to be clicking with John Tavares too. The 25-year-old was tied for fourth among all rookies with 23 points when he went down. Mikheyev was getting solid middle-six minutes and scored almost exclusively at even strength, leading all rookies with 22 even-strength points before the injury. Now out three months, Mikheyev will get passed, but he has been an extremely valuable member of the Maple Leafs to this point.

10. Ilya Samsonov, G, Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: NR

Samsonov has appeared in only 15 games so far but has been a factor. With a .918 save percentage, Samsonov has won 11 of 13 starts, including all eight of his starts on the road. He is only the second goalie in NHL history to win each of his first eight starts away from home. The Capitals have a good situation with their young netminder as Braden Holtby's contract situation beyond this season remains unclear. While I think this rookie class has a lot of players who could fit in this spot, you have to recognize what Samsonov has done even in a limited role.

Justin Thomas bested Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele in a playoff at Kapalua to claim the first trophy of the new year at the Sentry Tournament of Champions for his 12th PGA Tour win.

Here’s what was in the winner’s bag:

Driver: Titleist TS3 (9.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana BF 60 TX shaft

3 Wood: Titleist TS3 (15 degrees), with Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Blue 80TX shaft

5 Wood: 915Fd (18 degrees), with Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 Tour Spec X shaft

Irons: Titleist T100 (4), 620 MB (5-9), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (46 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft; SM7 (52, 56 degrees), SM6 (60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

Putter: Scotty Cameron Futura X5

Golf ball: Titleist Pro V1x

After a three-hole playoff that tested the sunset in Maui, Justin Thomas claimed his 12th PGA Tour victory over Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Even better, he took home a check worth over $1.3 million along with the trophy. 

Here’s the entire purse payout from the Sentry Tournament of Champions: 

MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola has urged the Manchester United board to have patience with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer because it is only now that the Norwegian is seeing his team play the way he wants.

Manchester United and Manchester City meet in their Carabao Cup semifinal first leg at Old Trafford on Tuesday and ahead of the tie, Guardiola has asked that Solskjaer, who has come under pressure following a mixed start to the season, be given more time after just a year in charge.

"I think he starts to see his team what he wanted," Guardiola told a news conference on Monday.

"That is my feeling when I see his teams. Even the last game against Arsenal that they lost, but we see clearly what he wants.

"It was not easy to handle a team, take over a big, big club always demanding to be champions in all competitions but I think every manager needs time and I have the feeling that United starts to play the way he wants."

City are looking to avenge the 2-1 derby defeat at the Etihad Stadium and take a step towards a third successive League Cup final.

Guardiola has Ederson and Nicolas Otamendi available again after illness while Ayermic Laporte is nearing a return to action following more than four months out with a knee injury.

"I have an idea of the way I want to play but I am not 100 percent sure of the guys who play," Guardiola added.

"Everyone, apart from Leroy [Sane] everyone is in the training session. Nico [Otamendi] is back so we have almost the full squad for this period.

"Of course the cup, the opponent we played, especially the incredible amount of games some players have in the legs, they should be rested for the previous games.

"It is not the biggest competition in the world but it is nice to be there again and against our city opponents so it is nice to here."

New York City FC have appointed Valerenga and former Celtic boss Ronny Deila as their new manager, the team announced on Monday.

Deila replaces Domenec Torrent, who parted ways with the club in November after his first full season in charge, one in which NYCFC finished atop the Eastern Conference, but fell in the playoffs to Toronto FC. NYCFC had been linked with former Feyenoord manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but he took up the reins of Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F.

Ronny Deila Named #NYCFC Head Coach ?

?➡️ https://t.co/8GTCH0GC0N pic.twitter.com/BQEhixdiWh

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) January 6, 2020

"I'm so excited now to get started with preseason and get going with the team," Deila told ESPN through a team spokesperson. "This opportunity is with a fantastic club, in a fantastic city, and also, it's an opportunity to achieve something, to win something. It's making me almost have goosebumps. I'm really looking forward to getting going, to get started, to get to know the players, and to get the season started."

Deila has been compared to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as both men share the same footballing philosophy and enthusiastic celebrations on the touchline. The Norwegian famously took his clothes and shoes off and ran around in his underwear as manager of Norway's Stromsgodset after they survived relegation on the final day in 2009.

Deila managed Celtic between 2014-16 and won two consecutive league titles and the League Cup during his time in Scotland. He was most recently manager of Norwegian side Valerenga, though the team struggled during the latter half of last season, winning just one of its last 16 league matches.

"We're really happy with the group of players we have coming back and excited about the prospect of what that group can do so we wanted to make sure we found the right head coach," said sporting director David Lee. "We know we have a fantastic team that we believe is ready to win. Ronny is a winner. He won at Stromsgodset. He won at Celtic. We want to lift trophies and Ronny has done that in his career."

Deila inherits a side that currently ranks among the league's elite, though this offseason has witnessed the departures of both Torrent and sporting director Claudio Reyna. It will now be up to Lee and Deila to keep the momentum going.

"It's still a younger club, New York, but they're getting closer and closer," said Deila. "They've been in playoffs now in the last four years and that's great. Now it's just to make the big thing and win it.

"The group of players, as I've heard and as I've seen, have been there for a while and they're ready together. Just to build on that consistency and improving all the time, then I know also the result will come. To take the next step now, to win the title will be a big, big goal for me and for the Club."

Deila will need to get up to speed quickly. NYCFC will begin play in the CONCACAF Champions League against Costa Rican side San Carlos on Feb. 20, so training camp is set to open in mid-January.

The Norwegian stressed he won't be trying to build things from scratch.

"When I come in, it's important to build on what's been built before and try to get some of my ideas across as well," he said. "It's very similar, the way City have played and the way I want to play as well, so just to keep building on what has been. With the consistency and the hard work during the preseason, we'll be ready for the season."

The FA Cup third round passed by this weekend with few shocks and even fewer full-strength teams fielded by leading Premier League clubs.

Liverpool beat neighbours Everton with a second-string side packed with youngsters, Manchester City coasted to victory against Port Vale with a similarly half-strength team and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United played out a 0-0 draw at Wolves, despite starting with Marcus Rashford on the bench and with Anthony Martial, David De Gea and Jesse Lingard not even in the squad.

The biggest teams to fall at the third round stage have been Crystal Palace and Brighton -- neither have previously won the Cup and both are hardly Premier League heavyweights -- which means the FA Cup has once again come under fire as being outdated, increasingly irrelevant and a diminishing priority for the big clubs.

But is it really so bad? There were packed stadiums as League One side Rochdale held Newcastle to a draw at Spotland and at Gillingham, where West Ham earned a hard-fought win. Curtis Jones, meanwhile, wrote his name in the FA Cup folklore with his stunning goal for Liverpool against Everton. There have been enough signs that the FA Cup is alive and well if you look in the right places, but there are still tweaks that can be made to make the competition even bigger and better.

1. Let the lower ranked teams play at home

Everyone loves a cup upset. The prospect of a Premier League club being humbled by a side from the lower leagues is what makes the FA Cup so special, and there is a greater chance of that happening if they were forced to leave behind the comforts of their state-of-the-art stadiums and cosy dressing-rooms. So when the draw is made, the Football Association should automatically ensure that the lower-ranked team stages the tie.

In the third round, that would have seen Arsenal travel to Leeds, Chelsea play at Nottingham Forest and Manchester City make the trip to Port Vale. Even Liverpool would have had to surrender home advantage against Everton to play their tie at Goodison Park. It would also have seen Sheffield United have to travel to non-league AFC Fylde. There may not have been a single upset had the ties been switched, but they would all have been played at full stadiums, which works for both the FA Cup romantics and the TV executives who want a noisy, passionate crowd alongside the action on the pitch.

The counter argument to lower ranked teams playing at home is that they would miss out on a big pay-day by travelling to the likes of Anfield, Old Trafford or the Emirates but to make the cup special, the sporting element must come before financial gain.

2. Scrap replays and go straight to penalties

Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo claimed after his team's 0-0 draw against Manchester United on Saturday that finishing the tie at Molineux with a penalty shoot-out, rather than a replay at Old Trafford next week, would have been the most sensible solution. The FA has already made changes to the cup by abolishing replays from the fifth round onwards (that change was introduced last season), but they should now go further by ending them altogether from the third round.

Firstly, such a move would help ease the fixture congestion in the game, especially after a busy Christmas and New Year fixture programme that sees teams play four league fixtures in less than two weeks. But it would also increase the excitement if a cup tie was played to a conclusion at the first attempt, with extra-time and penalties deciding the tie.

Lower league clubs would argue that the prospect of a replay is a financial bonus they would not otherwise get, but replays are becoming an inconvenience to supporters as much as players. The costs of travelling to a replay -- ticket, travel, food, etc -- is another drain on the resources of fans, especially if they have to take half a day off work to attend the game.

End the problem by finishing the game at the first attempt.

3. Force Premier League clubs to play six first-team players

One of the biggest criticisms of top clubs in the FA Cup is that they use the ties to rest players and make wholesale changes, especially in the early rounds.

Liverpool will point to their 1-0 win against Everton on Sunday as justification for making nine changes from their most recent Premier League fixture and few of their fans would argue that they did not enjoy seeing a team of youngsters send their neighbours crashing out of the competition. But generally, fans are being short-changed when they turn up to a cup tie and see their team, or the opponents, fielding unrecognisable line-ups.

To mitigate this, a rule should be introduced that forces teams to field at least six players who have made five or more league appearances for the club that season. That would allow managers to rest players, but also ensure that teams are still strong enough for fans to feel as though they are getting value for money. It would also diminish suggestions that big clubs are not taking the competition seriously.

4. Ensure free travel for away fans

One thing that the FA Cup gets right is the rule that away teams should get an allocation of tickets amounting to 15% of the stadium capacity of the home team. It saw over 6,000 Everton fans attend the tie at Liverpool and Leeds United sell 8,000 tickets for their Monday night trip to play Arsenal at the Emirates.

Bigger away contingents lead to a noisier atmosphere, which again is a tick in the box of the TV companies who pay to broadcast the FA Cup. But while more fans are able to travel to see their teams in the cup, it is not a cheap and, with the FA earning £30m a year from the cup's sponsorship deal with Emirates, some of that money should go towards providing free travel for visiting fans.

With so much money in the modern game, subsidies for travelling fans would allow more to travel and also show that the game is prepared to give something back to those who watch their teams up and down the country.

5. Scrap the Carabao Cup

Does England really need two cup competitions? In France, the Coupe de La Ligue is to be scrapped after this season in order to reduce fixture congestion, while Germany ended their League Cup, the Ligapokal, in 2007. Spain and Italy only have one national cup competition but in England, the FA Cup and League Cup (Carabao Cup) continue to fight for space on the fixture list.

The League Cup, run by the EFL, even has two-legged semifinals in January -- the busiest month of the year -- despite a succession of top managers highlighting the folly of playing two games rather than getting the tie done in one go. The time has come for the League Cup, which dates back to 1960-61, to go the way of its French and German counterparts. Abolishing it would leave the FA Cup as the standalone cup competition in England and ensure that teams take it more seriously because there would be less congestion on the calendar.

6. Make the FA Cup a VAR-free zone

The FA Cup has one foot in the VAR camp and one foot outside it because the system is only used in ties played at Premier League stadiums. In the third round, we saw referee Michael Oliver using the pitchside monitor (finally!) to send off Crystal Palace's Luka Milivojevic for a headbutt against Derby County at Selhurst Park, but in other ties at places such as Rochdale, Middlesbrough and Gillingham -- which all hosted televised cup ties -- VAR was not available.

Logistically, it is understandable that some lower league grounds cannot accommodate VAR, but you can't have a competition where some ties have it and others don't. It makes no sense. The FA should ditch VAR completely and ensure it is a level playing field for every club until they can find a way to ensure it is in place at every stadium from the third round onwards.

Ali Maiden is leaving his post as England Women's assistant coach to join Leicestershire and will be replaced by Tim Macdonald, the Perth Scorchers' WBBL bowling coach, for the Women's T20 World Cup.

Macdonald will be reunited with fellow Australian Lisa Keightley, the Scorchers' WBBL head coach who was recently appointed England Women's head coach. He flew to England last week to join the team for the lead-up to and duration of the Women's T20 World Cup, which starts in Australia on February 21.

Maiden, who has been part of the England Women's set-up since 2011, will become Leicestershire's new Head of Talent Pathway. After joining England Women as their lead batting coach, Maiden became Mark Robinson's assistant in 2017 and together the pair helped captain Heather Knight and her team lift the Women's World Cup in 2017.

When Robinson left following England's home Ashes defeat last year, Maiden took over as interim England Women's coach for the recent series against Pakistan in Malaysia, where England won all six matches - three T20Is and three ODIs.

"We had many achievements, none better than winning the World Cup in 2017 at Lord's, and I have learnt much from a period in my career that I will never forget," Maiden said. "I wish Lisa, Heather and the rest of the team all the very best for the future, starting at the T20 World Cup in February."

ECB Managing Director of Women's Cricket, Clare Connor, described Maiden as "a tremendous asset to England Women's cricket".

"He has obviously played a significant role in taking the senior team forward over the last eight years, but he has also made a significant contribution to the development of England Women's Academy players throughout several winters," Connor said.

"Ali's enthusiasm, dedication and passion for the game, and for batting in particular, has been infectious and it has been wonderful to watch so many players improve as a result of his work with them. We will all miss Ali enormously and we wish him every success for the future."

Ottis Gibson became the second person to be linked with the Bangladesh bowling coach's job, after former South Africa seamer Nantie Hayward had applied for the role earlier this week. Gibson confirmed that he is having discussions with the BCB but did not reveal any more details.

Gibson is currently the head coach of Cumilla Warriors, the BPL side that is managed by the BCB. He is working closely with chief selector Minhajul Abedin, board director Naimur Rahman and a few other BCB coaches.

"I am not going to deny that a discussion is going on," Gibson said. "We are still a long way from agreeing anything. We will see. Of course I love cricket and coaching bowling. If there's an opportunity to help young fast bowlers, I will look at that opportunity.

"I know some of the players. Al-Amin is in our team. I pride myself on forming relationships quickly with players. I have no problem coming in and trying to help young and experienced bowlers. If the opportunity is there, I will definitely look at it."

Hayward, Sylhet Thunder's bowling coach, has also applied for the job that was vacated by Charl Langeveldt, who cut short his two-year contract by taking up the South Africa job last month.

Over 18 seasons with Tom Brady as their starting quarterback, the Patriots have only failed to advance past the wild-card round on three occasions. Saturday's loss to the Titans marked the first time in a decade that Brady and the Patriots won't advance to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. By an admittedly impossible standard, this 2019 Patriots season has to be considered a disappointment.

When the Patriots lost to the Ravens at home in the wild-card round during the 2009 playoffs, it was a frustrating end to the season and nothing more. Brady was 32 and months away from signing a four-year, $72 million extension. The end of the Brady-Bill Belichick run in New England seemed years away and was actually even further than most anybody could have expected.

Now, the future is much murkier. Brady is 42. His contract voids after the season, and the Patriots can't franchise tag their star quarterback. His performance declined dramatically during the season. His Boston-area mansion is on the market. Saturday night might very well have been Brady's last game in a Patriots uniform.

The issues that led to New England's defeat extend beyond what happened during the game. Heck, it extends back beyond 2019. Let's take a chronological look at what led the Patriots to be upset by the Titans, what could have changed, and how it might impact the future:

Jump to a year:
2013 | 2015 | 2016
2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020

2009

May: Rob Gronkowski suffers a back injury while lifting weights at Arizona. A 19-year-old Gronkowski was coming off an All-Pac-10 sophomore season with the Wildcats when he injured his back during the offseason. He ruptured a disk in his back and eventually missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing surgery.

The missing season and concerns about his back are likely what led Gronkowski to drop to the second round of the 2010 draft, where the Patriots moved up two spots to select the future Hall of Famer with the 44th pick. Gronk would have a brilliant career, but the back injury continued to pop up in the years to come and almost certainly helped lead to him retiring at the age of 30.

2013

June: Gronkowski undergoes surgery on his back. After breaking his forearm in January and undergoing multiple surgeries, Gronkowski also goes under the knife in June to repair fractured vertebrae in his back. The star tight end doesn't make his debut until Week 7, and he tears his ACL and MCL on a hit by T.J. Ward in December.

2015

Jan. 18: The Colts are blown out by the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and report to the NFL that several of the balls used during the game were underinflated. Nearly eight years after the Spygate case struck the NFL, the Patriots find themselves embroiled in a new scandal. After losing 45-7 in a game in which the Pats ran the ball 40 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns, the Colts ask the NFL to initiate an investigation into the footballs that were used during the game at Foxborough.

April 30: The Giants use their first-round pick on Ereck Flowers. Desperately needing a left tackle to replace struggling second-rounder Will Beatty, Giants general manager Jerry Reese goes after a project by using the ninth overall selection on Miami tackle Flowers. He would proceed to disappoint and repeatedly embarrass the organization before being released in 2018. His failure would prod the Giants to go after a left tackle a few years from now.

May 11: The NFL metes out Deflategate punishment. After the Wells report is released, the NFL strips the Patriots of their 2016 first-round pick and a 2017 fourth-round selection. It also suspends Brady for the first four games of the 2016 season, which is eventually upheld on appeal.

Deflategate has two significant impacts on the Patriots. One is the missing draft picks. The player the Patriots would have drafted with the 29th pick of the first round would have been entering the fourth and final year of his rookie deal this season. While the bottom of the first round that year consisted of disappointing players like Paxton Lynch, Joshua Garnett, Robert Nkemdiche and Vernon Butler, the second round was full of stars. Could the Patriots have used their first-round pick on Jaylon Smith, Xavien Howard or Chris Jones? If they were looking for weapons for Brady, the next three receivers off the board were Hunter Henry, Sterling Shepard and an Ohio State wideout by the name of Michael Thomas. Each of those guys would have been enormously valuable to the 2019 Patriots when healthy.

Brady's suspension, meanwhile, introduced 2014 second-round pick Jimmy Garoppolo to the national stage. Garoppolo only started two of the four games before injuring his shoulder, but he showed enough in those two starts to inspire a significant trade market before eventually making his way to the 49ers in a trade I'll get to in a bit.

Without Deflategate, Garoppolo doesn't get those starts to prove what he can do in a meaningful role. He likely spends the 2016 and 2017 seasons backing up Brady and taking the occasional snap or two in garbage time. There's a reasonable chance that the Patriots would have been able to re-sign Garoppolo at a reasonable price and keep him as their backup and possible heir apparent to Brady. And while I don't think Brady's play declined to the point where the Pats would have benched him during the 2019 season, having Garoppolo in reserve would have given New England a more promising option than as-yet-untested rookie fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham if it wanted to make a change.

Sept. 9: Nate Solder signs a two-year, $20-million extension. The second left tackle of Brady's career after starting things with Matt Light, Solder signed a team-friendly extension as he entered the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. The contract kept Solder in a Patriots uniform through the 2017 season, but it crucially prevented the Patriots from franchising their left tackle before free agency in 2018.

2016

March 15: The Patriots trade Chandler Jones to the Cardinals for guard Jonathan Cooper and the 61st overall pick. With their star pass-rusher entering the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, the Patriots decide to get something for him before he hits free agency. Jones goes to the desert for a late second-round pick and Cooper, a reclamation project who had disappointed after being drafted with the seventh overall pick.

Cooper would be cut without ever playing a game for the Patriots. They eventually got a guard out of this deal, but it was via a second trade; Belichick sent the pick he got from the Cardinals to the Saints, who traded up and grabbed Vonn Bell. The Patriots turned the third- and fourth-round picks they got from New Orleans into Joe Thuney and Malcolm Mitchell.

Thuney has turned out to be a solid starting guard, but this didn't work out well for New England. Belichick is usually a master of trading players at the right time and has an established habit of letting star edge rushers leave, but Jones has enjoyed the best post-Patriots career of any star Belichick has traded away. Jones has racked up 60 sacks over his four years in Arizona, including 19 in 2019. Aaron Donald is the only other player in the NFL within 10 sacks of Jones' total over that timespan.

The Patriots did have an excellent defense without a No. 1 pass-rusher on paper in 2019, and they were able to use the money they saved by trading Jones elsewhere, but he probably couldn't have hurt in a wild-card game in which the Patriots sacked Ryan Tannehill once across 16 dropbacks.

Nov. 13: Earl Thomas hits Rob Gronkowski. When superheroes collide, the impact usually leaves a crater. It was no different for two future Hall of Famers when Thomas hit a vulnerable Gronkowski with a clean shot to the chest in Week 10. The Seahawks eventually pulled out a 31-24 road victory over the Pats, but Gronk's injury became the bigger story.

Initially, he missed one game with a perforated lung. When he came back for a game with the Jets, he left with a back injury and never returned. Gronkowski suffered another disk injury and missed the remainder of the 2016 season, raising more concerns about his long-term NFL future.

2017

April 27-29: Belichick has his worst draft with the Patriots. While the Pats were already down their first-round pick after trading for Brandin Cooks, it's difficult to find a draft in which Belichick found less than what the Pats got in 2017. Picking last after winning the Super Bowl, Belichick traded the 64th pick to the Panthers for the 72nd pick and defensive end Kony Ealy, who was cut during training camp. The Saints and Panthers used the picks they got from the Pats on Ryan Ramczyk and Taylor Moton, two of the top young right tackles in football.

Belichick traded down again with the Titans, who drafted Taywan Taylor, and then used Tennessee's selection on defensive end Derek Rivers, who has played 78 defensive snaps over three seasons with the Pats. Two picks later, he traded up with the Lions to draft tackle Antonio Garcia, who missed all of his rookie season with blood clots in his lungs before being cut without ever playing in the NFL. Detroit used the third-round pick the Pats traded away on a receiver who would have helped this season, Kenny Golladay.

The Patriots used a fourth-round pick on reserve end Deatrich Wise Jr., who became the only notable contributor to the team from this draft. With Cooks no longer on the roster and the third-rounders barely playing, there was a huge hole in the 2019 roster where the 2017 draft should be hitting its stride.

Sept. 7: Malcolm Mitchell goes on injured reserve. One of the many Georgia players Belichick has drafted in recent years, the fourth-round pick impressed during his rookie season, catching 32 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns. He started both the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl, catching six passes for 70 yards in the comeback victory over the Falcons, and he appeared to be a useful possession receiver and route-runner very early in his career.

The Super Bowl, sadly, was the last game Mitchell would ever play. Mitchell tore his ACL in college and struggled with knee issues as a rookie before being placed on injured reserve just before the Pats' Week 1 loss to the Chiefs. Mitchell missed all of 2017, was cut by the Patriots in August 2018, and then underwent another knee surgery before subsequently retiring in March 2019. Mitchell would have likely figured into the 2019 offense if he was still on the roster.

Oct. 31: The Patriots trade Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-round pick. With Garoppolo reportedly turning down contract extensions and Brady in the middle of what would be an MVP campaign, the Patriots are left with little choice but to move on from their would-be quarterback of the future. Reportedly under a directive from Robert Kraft, a furious Belichick sends Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-round pick.

Perhaps in part to obfuscate the return from the trade, Belichick sliced and diced the 49ers pick into a dizzying array of swaps. He traded down with the Bears on two different occasions alone as part of the deal and is still owed their fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft. The selections Belichick acquired played a key role in drafting Duke Dawson, Joejuan Williams, Damien Harris, Christian Sam, and Byron Cowart.

The highest-drafted players were Dawson and Williams, a pair of second-round defensive backs. Dawson missed all of his rookie season with an injury before being traded to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick without ever playing for the Pats, while Williams served as a reserve cornerback this season. Harris, a third-round pick at running back, spent the season buried on the depth chart and only played five snaps.

Of course, Garoppolo was great in 2017 and injured for most of 2018 before impressing this season for the top-seeded Niners. Realistically, the Patriots waited too long in making this move, which was obvious at the time. The Patriots should have been able to fetch a first-round pick for Garoppolo during spring 2017, which would have allowed them to possibly add a much more valuable contributor in that year's draft than the guys who ended up coming out of the Garoppolo deal.

2018

Feb. 6: Josh McDaniels reneges on his agreement to become Colts coach. Two days after the Patriots lost Super Bowl LII to the Eagles, they got an unlikely piece of good news when McDaniels decided to return to the team. The former Broncos coach and current Pats offensive coordinator appeared to be on his way to Indianapolis, with the Colts waiting for New England's playoff run to end before officially announcing McDaniels as their next coach. Instead, even though McDaniels had already recruited coaches to his new staff in Indianapolis, the 41-year-old was given a raise to return to New England.

Keeping McDaniels looked like a coup for the Patriots, especially given that they were losing defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to the Lions during the same offseason. It remains to be seen whether it actually turns out that way. McDaniels didn't have an answer on offense once the Patriots started to struggle in 2019, raising concerns that the guy whose offenses struggled without Brady in Denver and in St. Louis might not be quite as impressive without an in-his-prime Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm. McDaniels might also choose to leave the organization this offseason, leaving the Patriots in need of a new voice on offense.

March 14: The Giants sign Solder to a four-year, $62 million deal. With the Pats unable to franchise Solder under the terms of his old extension, they're stuck letting their star left tackle hit the market. A three-team bidding war sprouts up between Belichick, Houston's Bill O'Brien and new Giants general manager Dave Gettleman. In the end, the hog molly aficionado got his prize, handing Solder the largest contract ever awarded to an offensive lineman.

The Solder deal has turned out to be a disaster for the Giants. Stats LLC suggests that he allowed 12.5 sacks this season, more than what he allowed over 35 games in his last three seasons with the Patriots. He hasn't gotten much help from quarterbacks who have both immobile (Eli Manning) and mostly unaware of the pass rush (Daniel Jones), but he was signed to be a franchise left tackle and has frequently been disappointing.

Would Solder have declined as dramatically if he had stayed with the Patriots? It's impossible to say, but given the presence of Brady and the tutelage of legendary offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, I'm inclined to think not. Keeping Solder would have forced the Patriots to make other cutbacks, though, and while they might have drafted a different player, they would still probably been forced to make the following move:

April 3: The Patriots trade Cooks to the Rams. Just one year after acquiring Cooks from the Saints, Belichick decides to move on from his No. 1 receiver by sending him and a fourth-round pick to Los Angeles for first- and sixth-round picks. The Patriots use the first-round pick they get from the Rams on Isaiah Wynn, who is drafted to take over as the team's left tackle of the future after losing Solder in free agency.

Obviously, a healthy Cooks would have been a massive upgrade on the receivers the Patriots ran out next to Julian Edelman this season. If the Pats kept Cooks, they likely don't use a first-round pick on N'Keal Harry in 2019, instead choosing to address the tackle position instead. They would have needed to give Cooks an extension, which would have necessitated some creative accounting from a team that typically has a very clean cap.

It's impossible to say whether Cooks would have been a difference-maker for the Pats in 2019. The Patriots traded him after he suffered a concussion during the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles, and while I doubt that Belichick projected Cooks to continue dealing with brain injuries, the Rams standout suffered two concussions in 2019 and failed to top 60 receiving yards in a game after Week 4. I feel confident in saying that Belichick would have preferred having Cooks to someone like Harry or Mohamed Sanu in the lineup for the Titans game.

April 26: The Pats use a first-round pick on Sony Michel. As a team that has rarely invested significant resources in running backs, it was a shock to see the Patriots use a first-round pick on a player who was likely to serve as their power back, a role the Pats had filled in years past with guys like LeGarrette Blount and BenJarvus Green-Ellis. It was really only the third time Belichick had made a major investment in that spot after trading for Corey Dillon and using a first-round pick on Laurence Maroney.

Dillon had one great year before turning into a replacement-level back, and Maroney flashed promise in his first two years as a rotation back before disappointing afterward. Michel might be on the same path. After a competent rookie season, Michel took over and excelled as the Pats' primary back during the 2018 postseason, racking up 336 rushing yards and six touchdowns over their three-game run to the title. He seemed primed for bigger things in 2019.

Without Gronkowski or a pair of starting linemen from the 2018 team in Trent Brown and David Andrews, Michel collapsed. He underwent a knee scope in June and didn't show any burst all season, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. He was a disaster as a receiver, dropping three passes on just 20 targets. The nadir came in the Titans game, but more on that later.

It seemed like drafting Michel was some sort of anticipatory genius, that Belichick might be using the pick to transition to more of a power offense or that Michel was a better prospect than anybody else could have imagined. So far, though, Michel looks like a competent interior runner who does little more than get what is blocked.

The players who were drafted shortly after Michel might have changed the franchise. The next player taken after Michel was Lamar Jackson, who will likely win league MVP in his second year as a pro. The next runner selected was 35th overall pick Nick Chubb, who has proved to be a far more dynamic back so far as a pro than his Georgia teammate. Michel might round into form in 2020 if his knee stays healthy, but this hasn't been a great selection for the Pats.

Oct. 19: Gronkowski pops up on the injury report with a back issue. While the star tight end was already dealing with an ankle ailment, this is the first time Gronkowski is listed on the injury report in 2018 with a back problem. While he had been playing through the ankle injury, he subsequently misses the next four games. When he comes back, an ailing Gronk averages 39 receiving yards per game over the remainder of the regular season.

Oct. 30: The trade deadline passes without a deal for Derrick Henry. While our Chris Mortensen reported that the Titans were shopping their second-round pick at the 2018 trade deadline, general manager Jon Robinson wasn't able to find a deal that he liked for the former Alabama star. The Titans instead decided to keep Henry, even though he was serving as the backup to former Patriots back Dion Lewis.

At that time, Henry looked like little more than the back end of a rotation as his team's power back. He had posted competent numbers behind DeMarco Murray in 2016 and 2017, but when put in the starting role to begin 2018, he had disappointed. The Titans had moved him back into the change-of-pace role behind Lewis, and at the time they were shopping Henry, he was averaging 3.3 yards per carry on a team in the middle of a three-game losing streak.

Henry continued to serve as the change-of-pace back until a fateful Thursday night game against the Jaguars in December. With Lewis carrying the ball 10 times for just 13 yards, Henry scored a touchdown on the opening drive and then took a second-quarter carry from his own 1-yard line 99 yards to the house. He finished with 238 yards and was restored to the starting lineup the following week, where he has resided ever since.

From that Jaguars game in Week 14 of 2018 through the end of the 2019 regular season, Henry has racked up 2,125 rushing yards, 329 more than any other back in football. His 23 rushing touchdowns are six more than any other player. He then dominated the Patriots in the wild-card round, racking up 208 yards and a touchdown on 35 touches from scrimmage. Who knows if the Titans have a running back as devastating as Henry if they end up making this trade?

2019

Feb. 3: The Patriots win the Super Bowl. A 13-3 victory over the Rams hands Belichick and Brady their sixth Super Bowl victory. Immediately after the game, there's speculation that Gronkowski will retire.

March 11: Adam Humphries shuns the Patriots to sign a four-year, $36 million deal with the Titans. I wasn't thrilled about this move for the Titans when it happened, in part because I felt that teams like the Patriots had exhibited an ability to create or elevate slot receivers as opposed to signing them away from other teams in free agency. As it turned out, the Patriots were actually interested in signing Humphries from the Bucs and offered Humphries more money, but by the time they expressed their interest, he had already agreed to terms with the Titans.

Humphries also admitted he turned down the Patriots out of a fear that Brady wouldn't be their quarterback much longer, which seems even more interesting now. His first year with the Titans was underwhelming, with the 26-year-old catching 37 passes for 374 yards and two receiving scores in 12 games before going down with a high ankle sprain, which caused him to miss the last month of the season and the win over the Pats.

It's obviously impossible to predict whether he would have suffered the same injuries with New England. It seems curious that the Pats would target Humphries given the presence of Edelman in the slot, but had they succeeded, they would have likely gone with more spread looks and tried to use both Edelman and Humphries in the slot on opposite sides of the formation. Humphries also would have been useful leverage if Edelman got injured.

March 15: The Dolphins trade Tannehill to the Titans. In a sign of how thin the market was for their starting quarterback, the Dolphins paid $5 million of the $7 million Tannehill was due after restructuring his contract and sent a sixth-round pick to the Titans to get fourth- and seventh-round selections back. No team in the league was willing to send a fourth-round pick to the Dolphins for the privilege of getting a guy who had been a low-end starting quarterback on what amounted to a one-year, $2 million pact.

Of course, that move has turned out to be the best trade of the offseason for the Titans. Tannehill played Pro Bowl football for 10 weeks and led Tennessee to the playoffs. And while he did little against the Patriots on Sunday, the success of the running game came in part because the Patriots were afraid of what Tannehill was capable of doing off play-action.

March 24: Gronkowski retires. The tight end leaves the game at age 30 after a season in which he looked diminished as a downfield receiver, although his work in the playoffs suggests there was still plenty left in the tank for the future Hall of Famer as both a receiver and a blocker. Speculation immediately begins that Gronkowski will return later in the season, but despite teasing a big announcement multiple times on social media, he sits out the entire season. The Patriots finish the season with 419 yards on throws to tight ends, the third-fewest in the league.

April 25: The Patriots use their first-round pick on N'Keal Harry. After going 11 drafts without using a first-round pick on a skill-position player, the Patriots use their second first-round pick in two years on one by drafting Harry with the 32nd and final selection on the opening round. The 6-foot-2 Arizona State product is seen as a physical mismatch for smaller cornerbacks and a smart complement to Edelman on the interior.

Harry flashed some during training camp, but an ankle injury led the Patriots to place him on injured reserve. After returning in midseason, he made the occasional big play, with the winning touchdown against the Cowboys as an example, but it was clear that the Patriots only saw him as a situational player. Harry only played two offensive snaps in the loss to the Chiefs and failed to top 30 yards in any game during his rookie campaign.

It's obviously too early to make any sort of long-term judgment about Harry, but it's fair to say that other wide receivers made more of a short-term impact during their rookie campaigns. One of those wideouts was Titans stud A.J. Brown, who was my pick for Rookie of the Year after he amassed 1,051 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Brown was taken 19 picks behind Harry, while other wideouts such as Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf and Terry McLaurin were also difference-makers as rookies and still on the board at No. 32. While Brown had a quiet day with the Titans prioritizing running the football, it's tempting to imagine how the Pats season could have gone with one of those standouts in the lineup instead of Harry.

The only other player from the draft to take snaps on offense for the Pats was Harris. Despite the injuries to the offensive line, third-round pick Yodny Cajuste and fourth-rounder Hjalte Froholdt never made it onto the active roster, with both linemen hitting injured reserve.

August: Center David Andrews is hospitalized. One of the most underrated and underpaid veterans on the roster, Andrews is placed on injured reserve and misses the entire 2019 season. He's replaced by utility lineman Ted Karras, although an injury to Karras forces the Pats to rely on third-stringer James Ferentz for a spot start against the Chiefs.

Sept. 9-20: Antonio Brown is signed and then released by the Patriots. Amid an inexplicably bizarre year for Brown that would require a whole other article, the Patriots pounced after the Raiders released the former Steelers star and signed Brown to a one-year, $15 million deal. Brown made his debut for the Patriots in Week 2 and caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

Five days later, after allegations surfaced that Brown had been both accused of sexual assault and sending threatening text messages to a second woman, the Patriots released Brown. He is currently involved with a grievance in an attempt to get the money the Patriots guaranteed when they signed him; it appears that the Pats owe $10.5 million in dead money to Brown over their 2019 and 2020 caps as a result of their ill-fated deal.

Obviously, Brown's off-field behavior has been both abhorrent and wildly erratic. If he had somehow found a way to behave during his time on the Patriots, it's hard to imagine a more perfect fit for what the Pats ended up needing on offense than the seven-time Pro Bowler. Even when Brady had protection during the second half of the season, he rarely had a receiver who was capable of creating separation and getting themselves open beyond Edelman. Brown would have been that player. Instead, his brief stint with the team turned out to be an embarrassment.

Sept. 23: James Develin and Isaiah Wynn go down injured against the Dolphins. While the Patriots' 43-0 win over the Dolphins in Week 2 was a cakewalk, it cost them two critical offensive pieces. Develin, the team's starting fullback, suffered a neck injury that cost him the remainder of the season. Wynn, who was making his second career start after missing all of 2018 with a torn Achilles, suffered a toe injury and missed the next 10 weeks before returning from IR.

The Pats didn't do well replacing either contributor. New England eventually settled on linebacker Elandon Roberts as their new fullback, although it took them until December before Roberts began to see more than a handful of snaps. Wynn was replaced by street free agent Marshall Newhouse, who allowed 5.5 sacks in nine starts, per Stats LLC.

Oct. 2: Stephen Gostkowski hits injured reserve. The longtime Patriots kicker rejoined the team from free agency in April on a two-year deal, but Gostkowski wasn't up to his usual standards. The 35-year-old missed four of his first 15 extra point tries and one of his eight field goal attempts before going on to injured reserve with a hip injury. The Pats cycled through three other kickers in Kai Forbath, Nick Folk and Mike Nugent, but they went a combined 20-of-26 on field goal tries, and Belichick showed little faith in any of his replacements.

Oct. 22: The Patriots trade for Mohamed Sanu. In need of receiving help, the Patriots sent a second-round pick to the Falcons for Sanu, whom they had targeted in free agency and via trade during the 2019 draft. Sanu gave the Patriots a good route runner and a sure pair of hands due just $9.5 million over the rest of 2019 and 2020. I wasn't thrilled about the deal for the Patriots given the compensation, but it was a veteran addition at a position of need.

Sanu's arrival turned out to be a major disappointment. While he had 10 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in New England's 37-20 loss to the Ravens, he suffered an ankle injury after the bye and never seemed to recover. Over his final eight games, he caught 15 passes on 33 targets for 114 yards, including a solitary catch for 11 yards on five targets against Tennessee. Even if you want to blame the ankle, Sanu didn't end up making much of a difference for the Pats.

Oct. 31: The Patriots cut Josh Gordon off injured reserve. With Harry about to return from injured reserve and Gordon failing to make much of an impact before suffering a minor knee injury, the Patriots decided to cut ties with the mercurial former Browns star. Gordon's potential to anyone who saw him excel at college or during the 2013 season is obvious, but he stepped away from the organization in 2018 and was suspended indefinitely for another violation of the league's substance abuse policy after joining the Seahawks. A healthy, productive Gordon was obviously somebody who could have been a difference-maker for the Patriots, but it's unclear whether Gordon will ever be that player.

Dec. 8: Julian Edelman suffers a knee injury in a 23-16 loss to the Chiefs. While Edelman was already dealing with a shoulder injury before the Chiefs game, a knee injury suffered during the loss seemed to really hobble Brady's last remaining effective receiver. Edelman finished that game with 95 receiving yards and a touchdown, but he wasn't the same guy afterwards. Over his final four games of the season, he totaled just 137 receiving yards on 13 catches. When you consider that two of those games came against the lowly Bengals and Dolphins, it seems likely that he was far less than 100%. Edelman's toughness should be respected, but the Pats just didn't have any healthy receivers left once he got hurt.

Dec. 29: The defense blows the lead against the Dolphins. The Patriots shouldn't blow a fourth-quarter lead in Week 17 with a first-round bye on the line against an organization that was trying to lose. It was a mark of just how far they had fallen during the season that the same Patriots team that won 41-0 in Miami in Week 2 was holding on for dear life in the fourth quarter at home.

They didn't pull it off. Ryan Fitzpatrick converted a pair of third downs, but this wasn't even a particularly difficult or heroic drive. The Dolphins had no trouble against the league's No. 1 defense by virtually every metric before Fitzpatrick hit Mike Gesicki for the game-winning touchdown. New England was a stop away from spending the wild-card round on the couch before what would have been a home game against the Texans. Instead, it was done after the opening day of the postseason.

2020

Jan. 4: Michel is stuffed on a third-and-goal carry from the 1-yard line. If any play encapsulates what went wrong for the Patriots in the months (or years) leading up to this game and how it changed their offense, it's Michel getting stood up for a loss on third-and-goal.

The Patriots run outside zone, which they've gone to on the goal line since Michel was in elementary school. It fails because the blocking fails. Karras, in the lineup at center for Andrews, gets beat to the playside by rookie first-round pick Jeffery Simmons, who immediately threatens Michel in the backfield and forces him to cut outside. There, Newhouse has been brought into the game as an extra offensive lineman, but he gets stood up on the edge by Harold Landry, preventing Michel from kicking the play to the edge. Roberts, the makeshift fullback, flies toward the edge and dives toward Kevin Byard, but falls to the ground without making contact.

Forced into no man's land without a place to cut, Michel's only hope is to miraculously make unblocked linebacker Rashaan Evans miss and twist forward for a score, but the Titans' 2018 first-rounder -- whom the Patriots denied having any interest in during the draft -- makes the tackle. A group of fill-ins, backups and disappointing players combined to come up short on the biggest offensive snap of the game for the Patriots. And while they didn't realize it at the time, it cost the Patriots the game.

As The Boston Globe's Nora Princiotti noted, this was the first time in the Brady-Belichick era that the Patriots failed to score a touchdown on a series in which they had first-and-goal from the 1-yard line in the playoffs. The Pats kicked a field goal on fourth down to go up 13-7 with 2:18 to go in the first half and never came close to scoring again. The Titans scored a touchdown to take the lead before halftime, and New England didn't advance the ball past the Tennessee 47-yard line at any point afterward. It scored one touchdown on three red zone trips, while the Titans scored touchdowns on both of their red zone possessions. That (and a pick-six with 15 seconds left to go by former Pats corner Logan Ryan) was the difference in this game.

In the past, one goal-line stand on third down wouldn't have been enough to sink the Patriots. They would have kept coming. Belichick would have had enough faith in his offense to convert on fourth-and-goal. A healthy Edelman would have caught that second-and-4 pass to push the ball to midfield with 3:26 to go. The Patriots would have gone to Gronkowski, the perpetual mismatch, when they needed to move the ball in the fourth quarter. Belichick would come up with some gimmick or loophole to trick the defense, the referees or both.

On Saturday, though, we finally saw that the solution we all expected the Patriots to find after months of questions about the offense never came. And now, as the they confront the possibility of a future without their Hall of Fame quarterback, those questions seem even more vexing. The Patriots are rightfully regarded as the smartest organization in the league, and they get as many things right as anybody in football, but a combination of offensive personnel missteps, injuries and Father Time managed to take them down in the wild-card round.

Don't look now, but the Oklahoma City Thunder have won 14 of 18 and have entered the new decade as one of the hottest teams in the league. The Utah Jazz are on a roll, too, winners in nine of their past 10 games. And the Los Angeles Lakers? Well, they're looking like themselves again after stumbling into 2020.

Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Andre' Snellings, Royce Young and Bobby Marks, and The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which teams are looking most like title contenders.

Previous rankings: Week 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Training camp | Free agency | Post-Finals

1. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 32-5
Week 11 ranking: 1

The Bucks got Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe back from injury last week and just kept winning, pushing their most recent win streak to five games. The Bucks have been ultra-consistent this season, notching a 23-0 record against teams under .500. They face teams with losing records in their next five games, and in nine of their next 10. -- Snellings

This week: @SA, @GS, @SAC, @POR

2. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 29-7
Week 11 ranking: 4

L.A. blocked 20 shots in a win over Detroit on Sunday. The Lakers were one block shy of their franchise record set on April 9, 1982, against Denver (blocks became an official stat in 1973-74) and are the first team with 20 blocks in a game since Nov. 7, 2001, when Toronto had 20 against Golden State. -- Spears

This week: NY, @DAL, @OKC

3. Boston Celtics
Record: 25-8
Week 11 ranking: 5

The three-point win at home to Atlanta might have been a little too close, but the Celtics are winning games they should. The 3-0 week (two without Kemba Walker) now has Boston winners of eight out of nine games, and 6-1 against teams below .500 during that stretch. With a week of games that includes matchups against sub-.500 teams Washington, San Antonio and New Orleans (they also play at Philadelphia), the Celtics can gain ground on Milwaukee and separate from teams like Miami, Toronto, Philadelphia and Indiana in the East. -- Marks

This week: @WSH, SA, @PHI, NO

4. LA Clippers
Record: 26-12
Week 11 ranking: 3

When you're a really good team that's contending for a championship and you have a bad, embarrassing loss, you say things like "We're not a great team. ... That's what we need to realize and wake up," which is what Montrezl Harrell said after the Clippers lost at home to the Grizzlies by 26 points on Saturday. Their followup wasn't all that inspiring, either, as they gave up 45 points in the first quarter to the Knicks. They came back to win 135-132, but the Clippers are clearly coasting a bit -- which is what the really good teams get to do from time to time. -- Young

This week: GS, @DEN

5. Miami Heat
Record: 26-10
Week 11 ranking: 2

Here's what's so impressive about the Heat: Their starting lineup Sunday against Portland was Meyers Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson, Derrick Jones Jr. and Kendrick Nunn. Didn't matter. They played to their identity, ran their system and still scored points. They've had a few ugly losses lately -- and an ugly win in which they scored only 84 points -- but their depth and systematic structure is spectacular. -- Young

This week: @IND, @BKN, @NY

6. Houston Rockets
Record: 24-11
Week 11 ranking: 9

As noted by ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry, Russell Westbrook has been the league's least efficient high-volume jump shooter this season with an effective field goal percentage of 36.4. The good news: Westbrook's shot selection has improved recently, as a significantly higher percentage of his field goal attempts have been inside the restricted area over the past month. He's averaging 27.8 points per game with a 54 true shooting percentage in that span, and the Rockets have won 10 of the past 12 games in which Westbrook played. He averaged 21.7 points with a 47.7 true shooting percentage before that. -- MacMahon

This week: @ATL, @OKC, MIN

7. Toronto Raptors
Record: 24-12
Week 11 ranking: 7

The Raptors continue to battle, turning in two blowout victories and a close loss to the Heat this week despite the continued injury absence of three of their top six rotation players. Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Norman Powell are all still "a ways away" from returning, according to Raptors coach Nick Nurse, but the Raptors have a good short-term schedule with six of their next seven games against teams with losing records. -- Snellings

This week: POR, @CHA, SA

8. Denver Nuggets
Record: 24-11
Week 11 ranking: 6

After losing to the Wizards, Jamal Murray put it bluntly: "I didn't think we respected our opponent." The always-candid Mike Malone, who is excellent at motivating his team through postgame comments, was harsher: "Houston just humbled us. So two games later we need to be humbled again?" Denver has won 10 of its past 13, but it did lose by 26 to the Rockets and then dropped a dud to the Wizards. But it wasn't all bad last week. Michael Porter Jr. had a career night, scoring 25 on 11-of-12 shooting against the Pacers. -- Young

This week: @ATL, @DAL, CLE, LAC

9. Utah Jazz
Record: 23-12
Week 11 ranking: 11

The Jazz are rolling through a soft stretch of schedule, winning 10 of the past 11 games with only one victory in that span over a team that is above .500. Utah's next seven opponents all have losing records, too. The Jazz starting lineup, minus Mike Conley as he continues to nurse his nagging hamstring strain, has outscored opponents by 126 points over those 11 games. -- MacMahon

This week: @NO, NY, CHA, @WSH

10. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 22-13
Week 11 ranking: 8

Dallas' historically efficient offense has sputtered in clutch situations, a factor in two losses during their 1-3 slide. The Mavs' best-ever offensive rating of 115.3 points per 100 possessions plummets to a No. 28-ranked 92.3 in the clutch, per NBA.com/stats. Luka Doncic in those situations: 36.4% from the floor, 21.7% on 3s and as many turnovers (10) as assists. "He's been playing too many long stretches of minutes, and it's been really compromising him late in games," said coach Rick Carlisle, who tweaked the rotation to rest Doncic earlier in the first and third quarters. -- MacMahon

This week: CHI, DEN, LAL, PHI

11. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 20-15
Week 11 ranking: 13

The best record in the NBA since Dec. 1? The Bucks. The second best? The Thunder, at 13-4. Probably the biggest reason for the turnaround has been Oklahoma City's domination in the clutch. The Thunder went 8-1 in two-possession games in that span, they've won the most games decided in clutch time this season (16), and they have the best offense in the league in the clutch (125.4 offensive rating). The Thunder's three-point-guard lineup is a nightmare, and within it, Chris Paul has been an absolute crunch-time master, leading the league in clutch points and baskets. -- Young

This week: @PHI, @BKN, HOU, LAL

12. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 23-14
Week 11 ranking: 10

Maybe the 76ers can flip the switch and resemble a championship team when the playoffs begin -- the Christmas Day blowout win against Milwaukee should be enough evidence. But penciled in right now as the No. 6 seed, Philadelphia would start on the road if the playoffs started today, something they have fared poorly at with their 7-12 record away from Philly, including only one road win (Boston on Dec. 12) against a team over .500. -- Marks

This week: OKC, BOS, @DAL

13. Indiana Pacers
Record: 22-14
Week 11 ranking: 12

The Pacers have struggled of late, losing five of their past seven games with a scoring margin of minus-5.9 during that stretch. Their difficulties begin on defense, as they've allowed their opponents to average 118 points per game in the five losses and only 106 points per game in their two wins. The Pacers will look to right their defensive ship this week with two of three games against teams in the bottom six in the NBA in scoring, sandwiched around a tough home matchup against the Heat. -- Snellings

This week: @CHA, MIA, @CHI

14. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 16-18
Week 11 ranking: 14

The state of the Nets resembles more a team taking on water and less a franchise that won the offseason headlines. Brooklyn has now lost five games in a row and is facing the toughest part of its schedule -- eight of its next nine games against teams currently in playoff position. The Nets did get some good news when guard Caris LeVert returned from a seven-week absence on Saturday in a loss to Toronto. The bad news? There is no return in sight for the other half of the starting backcourt, injured All-Star Kyrie Irving. -- Marks

This week: @ORL, OKC, MIA, ATL

15. Orlando Magic
Record: 16-20
Week 11 ranking: 15

The Magic took a blow this week when promising young forward Jonathan Isaac went down for at least the next two months with a severe left knee sprain and bone contusion. Isaac was in the midst of a breakout campaign as the best defensive player on the team, and was arguably Orlando's most impactful player overall as he leads the Magic in real plus-minus on the season. -- Snellings

This week: BKN, WSH, @PHX

16. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 14-20
Week 11 ranking: 16

Has LaMarcus Aldridge suddenly become a stretch 5? Aldridge is 18-of-27 from 3-point range over the past six games, hitting more 3s during that span than he did all of last season. If the 34-year-old Aldridge continues lighting it up from long distance, it could boost his value in the trade market if the Spurs decide to go the rebuilding route. But San Antonio, which has an NBA-record postseason streak of 22 years, is just percentage points out of eighth place in the West standings at 14-20. -- MacMahon

This week: MIL, @BOS, @MEM, @TOR

17. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 15-22
Week 11 ranking: 20

The Grizzlies are 9-6 since Rookie of the Year front-runner Ja Morant came back from a back contusion. His 20-year-old co-star, Jaren Jackson Jr., is blossoming as a modern-day scoring big man. Jackson is averaging 20.6 points per game during that stretch, shooting 51.9% from the floor and 43.0% from 3-point range, attempting more 3s (113) than 2s (99) over those 15 games -- MacMahon

This week: MIN, SA, GS

18. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 15-22
Week 11 ranking: 17

At some point, something has to give for the Blazers. They've lost six of their past seven games and are clearly a significant notch below playoff-caliber teams. In this latest seven-game slump, they're allowing 118.8 points per 100 possessions, the second-worst mark in the league in that span. There was always a worry about the trade-off the Blazers were willing to rationalize when they signed Carmelo Anthony. But it appears the defensive chickens are coming home to roost right now. Just asking Damian Lillard to be a superhero isn't working, either: He has scored 30-plus in five of those seven games. -- Young

This week: @TOR, @MIN, MIL

19. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 12-24
Week 11 ranking: 19

Lonzo Ball is in the best groove of his career, stringing together three straight 20-point games for the first time as a pro. Ball is lighting it up with his reworked jumper, shooting 41.9% on 3s while launching 10.3 attempts per game from long range in that span, during which he has also averaged 8.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals. -- MacMahon

This week: UTAH, CHI, @NY, @BOS

20. Chicago Bulls
Record: 13-23
Week 11 ranking: 18

Chandler Hutchison has missed 17 straight games with a right shoulder injury and is expected to play again soon. The second-year forward, who opened the season as a reserve behind Otto Porter Jr., has been out since Nov. 27. Hutchison played in 39 minutes for the G-League Windy City Bulls on Friday, but he was not activated for the Bulls' loss to the Celtics on Saturday. -- Spears

This week: @DAL, @NO, IND, @DET

21. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 15-23
Week 11 ranking: 21

The Terry Rozier signing in July was depicted as an overreaction to the Hornets losing All-Star Kemba Walker to the Celtics. After all, how could Charlotte commit $57 million to a career backup in Rozier? While there have been times Rozier has struggled (see the 1-for-12 performance against Indiana), the wins over Cleveland and Dallas last week showed why the Hornets committed starter-worthy money to him. In the two games, Rozier averaged 29.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 56.8% from the field and 55% from deep. -- Marks

This week: IND, TOR, @UTAH, @PHX

22. Phoenix Suns
Record: 14-22
Week 11 ranking: 22

Devin Booker set a new Suns record by scoring at least 30 points or more in his sixth consecutive game after scoring 40 in a loss against Memphis on Sunday. Booker surpassed a record of five straight games with 30 or more points previously held by Charles Barkley and Charlie Scott. Booker remains perhaps the lone bright spot for Phoenix, which has dropped seven of its past 10 contests. -- Spears

This week: SAC, ORL, CHA

23. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 14-21
Week 11 ranking: 25

The Timberwolves have had a bit of a bounce-back week, winning three of their four games and competing hard in a two-point road loss to the Bucks, all while Karl-Anthony Towns (knee), Andrew Wiggins (illness) and Jeff Teague (knee) battled injuries. The team has rallied behind veterans Shabazz Napier, Gorgui Dieng and Robert Covington, with young wings Jarrett Culver, Keita Bates-Diop, Kelan Martin and Josh Okogie taking turns stepping up as well. -- Snellings

This week: @MEM, POR, @HOU

24. Detroit Pistons
Record: 13-24
Week 11 ranking: 24

The Pistons snapped a three-game losing streak with a win over the Warriors but have still lost nine of their past 11 to fall several games off the pace for the eighth spot in the East. They also appear to be a team in transition, with All-Star center and NBA rebounding leader Andre Drummond heavily rumored to be on the trading block. If Drummond were to be moved, it would signal the Pistons' hitting the reset button on the entire direction of the franchise. -- Snellings

This week: @CLE, CLE, CHI

25. Sacramento Kings
Record: 13-23
Week 11 ranking: 23

Guard De'Aaron Fox took the blame for the Kings' 117-115 loss to the Pelicans on Saturday after missing 6 of 11 free throws and missing 9 of 14 field goals. Fox made all eight of his free throws during a win over the Grizzlies on Thursday. The blame should be shared beyond Fox, though, as Sacramento has lost nine of its past 10 games. -- Spears

This week: GS, @PHX, MIL

26. Washington Wizards
Record: 11-24
Week 11 ranking: 29

It's the random games that keep a flicker of optimism around the Wizards, such as their surprise win over the Nuggets on Saturday. And that was with Rui Hachimura, Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans and Thomas Bryant all out. Ish Smith dropped 32 points and Troy Brown Jr. had 25 as the Washington bench outscored its own starters 92-36. -- Young

This week: BOS, @ORL, ATL, UTAH

27. New York Knicks
Record: 10-26
Week 11 ranking: 26

Was the 38-point, 13-of-19 from the field (including 6-of-7 from 3) performance from Marcus Morris Sr. an audition for the LA Clippers and contending teams? The career high in points comes one month before the trade deadline, and Morris has become a player many teams have circled as a priority. Morris is on an expiring $15 million contract, and New York will have the choice to either hold onto him for the remainder of the season, and perhaps bring him back in 2020-21, or look to trade him for draft assets. -- Marks

This week: @LAL, @UTAH, NO, MIA

28. Golden State Warriors
Record: 9-28
Week 11 ranking: 27

The Warriors will soon have to decide the fate of a pair of two-way players in Damion Lee and rookie Ky Bowman, as they are both closing in on their limit of 45 days. The Warriors have the most points in the NBA this season scored by two-way players with 542 entering Sunday, while Washington was a distant second at 198. -- Spears

This week: @SAC, MIL, @LAC, @MEM

29. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 10-26
Week 11 ranking: 28

This is not what coach John Beilein envisioned when he left the University of Michigan to take over a rebuilding Cleveland team. Instead of preparing for Wisconsin or Michigan State, the rookie coach is dealing with a disgruntled former All-Star in Kevin Love, veterans on expiring contracts looking for that next paycheck and, most importantly, keeping morale high inside a locker room that features six players under the age of 25. After winning four out of five games to end December, the Cavaliers are in the midst of another losing streak, now at four games. -- Marks

This week: DET, @DET, @DEN

30. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 8-28
Week 11 ranking: 30

Guard Trae Young leads the Eastern Conference in 40-point games this season with five, second in the NBA only to Houston's James Harden (14). Young, who led all Eastern Conference guards in the first All-Star fan balloting results, has also scored 30 or more points on 18 occasions this season. -- Spears

This week: DEN, HOU, @WSH, @BKN