Alex Ovechkin doesn't just believe his team's No. 1 defenseman, John Carlson, should win his first Norris Trophy. The Washington Capitals captain kicked off an all-out blitz campaign as the team toured Western Canada this week. It began with Ovechkin declaring, in Calgary, that he had a preferred hashtag: #Johnny4Norris.

"That's the hashtag right now," Ovechkin said. "Let's keep it going."

John Carlson (@JohnCarlson74) for the Norris Trophy? ?

Alex Ovechkin (@ovi8) says let the campaigning begin. pic.twitter.com/78NGB35GqH

— NHL (@NHL) October 23, 2019

It continued in Edmonton, when a reporter began asking a question about Carlson.

"Sorry," Ovechkin said, interrupting the question. "John Norris."

Alex Ovechkin when Oilers media asked him about John Carlson ... "Sorry, John Norris." ? #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/4vNYE7CLWP

— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) October 24, 2019

Carlson's take on the extra attention from his teammates?

"They're all over me all the time about it," Carlson said in a phone interview this week. "I can't say I like the attention, but I appreciate everyone standing up for me."

Ovechkin's campaign has its merits. The 29-year-old Carlson is blazing through October at a historic pace. "I've seen some pretty hot starts," reigning Norris winner Mark Giordano told NHL.com this week, of Carlson. "But I've never seen something quite like this."

Carlson not only leads defensemen, but he's second among all skaters, with 21 points through 13 games. He's on pace for 132 points this season. For context: in the last 30 years, the highest-scoring defensemen were Paul Coffey and Al MacInnis, both with 103-point seasons.

Carlson is also just four points shy from matching MacInnis' 1990-91 record for points by a defenseman in October, with one game left (Tuesday at the Maple Leafs) to do it. Sixteen of Carlson's points are assists; most of his production is at even strength, too. Only six of his points are from the power play.

"I've been playing well the last couple years," Carlson said. "I don't know if this year is too much different. I'm just getting good fortunate bounces, getting lucky a couple times. I think I made a lot of good plays, but this year the good plays that I make, the guys seem to be scoring on."

Carlson isn't necessarily shooting more; he's on pace for about 177 shots; he had 185 last season and his career-high is 237, set in 2017-18. However, the quality of his chances may have improved thanks to a new system brought in by coach Todd Reirden. If you've watched the Capitals this season, they've looked a tad different than years past. "We've changed our style a bit," Carlson said. "We're in the learning process right now and we're getting caught a little bit here or there, as expected, but overall everyone is sticking to it really well. We're playing a little more up-tempo -- a speed game that fits our team right now."

As for how it affects the offense, well, they're a bit more aggressive, for starters.

"We have a pretty specific attack in how to score goals in the offensive zone -- never mind off the rush, that's pretty cut and dry across the league," Carlson said. "In the zone, we're a little more aggressive with the D. We never really pinch down as much as we do now, pretty much in my whole career -- except maybe when Bruce [Boudreau] was here, it was a little more aggressive. So that's a big change. I think that brings us four or five feet closer to the net and opportunities to shoot or have a dangerous shot."

One thing that constantly comes up in meetings: not harping on the quantity of shots, but rather the quality of shots.

"We talk about that all the time as a team," Carlson said. "So sometimes that means passing up on certain shots that will have no effect on the goalie and maybe increase his confidence."

Carlson has been one of the best defensemen in the league for some time. So it feels a bit unsavory that only now is he getting Norris attention because of his eye-popping offensive totals. Carlson says he's not dismayed by it.

"It's the constant debate that I hear when it comes to the Norris," Carlson says. "This guy is only offensive, this guy is only defensive. In reality, it should be the best defenseman; take any team in the league, if they could choose a defenseman, that's who it should be."

When asked what he likes best about his game, he said: "I take pride in doing everything. I take pride in killing penalties and in what I do on the power play and at five-on-five. I play against a lot of top players on other teams, so that's what I think of going into every game."

Jump ahead:
Emptying the notebook | What we liked this week
Three stars of the week | Biggest games coming up

Emptying the notebook

I talked to Carlson on Friday afternoon before the team's game against the Canucks that night. I bring this up, because the timing is important -- and it makes Carlson look smart. I asked Carlson if he's noticed any league-wide trends a few weeks into the season. Here's his response: "Things feel more offensive. I don't know statistically if there's more goals, but it does feel like scoring has been up a little bit. Everyone is in every game, whether that is the first place team versus the last place team, or throughout a game the back-and-forth lead changes feel like it's been a little more wide open than in years past. Anything can happen at any time against any opponent. That's how I feel." What happens later that night? The Capitals overcome a four-goal deficit against the Canucks to win in overtime. Pretty wild. Also wild: the Capitals had lost their previous 50 games when trailing by at least four goals.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Washington became the second team with a four-goal comeback this season -- the Jets did it against the Devils on Oct. 4 -- which marked just the fifth four-goal comeback win in the NHL in the last 10 seasons.

I asked Carlson, upon reflection, how real the Stanley Cup hangover was. He admitted last year's training camp was a bit more difficult to get through -- and the team felt like they were "catching up a little bit."

"But as the season went on, I didn't feel any different," Carlson said. "By opening night, I felt just as good as I would on any opening game. I really didn't feel less energetic or less motivated. I don't buy into the whole hangover thing; if anything, it gives you a little bit more momentum. Also, for our team, especially with having Ovi and the top guys we've had my whole career, we're always getting everyone's best effort every night. We were never sneaking up on teams over the last seven, eight, nine, 10 years."

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy was a terrific guest on ESPN on Ice this week. I highly recommend you check out the entire interview, but I found this to be a very honest answer on the Bruins' goaltending split -- and if teams need to rely on two goaltenders to win in the modern NHL. "I don't know if you have to," Cassidy said. "We do it that way because the data's told us that Tuukka [Rask] has a certain workload where he's performed better. It's a lot closer to 50 games than it is to 65. The other part of it is that we have a really good backup. We trust him. It started with [Anton] Khudobin, who was good for us, and then [Jaroslav] Halak. Part of it is that. If your team doesn't have confidence in the guy going in 35 times a year, then that's a problem. So we're lucky that way. That's how we go about it, and we're not going to change. The game is harder on goalies. It's faster, more physical around the net. I think their workload is harder than it was in the past."

At the espnW summit in Newport Beach this past week, Kendall Coyne Schofield and John Langel spoke on a panel about equal pay. Langel, the attorney at Ballard Spahr who is working with the 200-plus women's players boycotting professional hockey this year, explicitly called out the NHL to get involved with women's professional hockey.

"We haven't been too secretive about it," Langel said. "The WNBA has the NBA alongside it. The National Women's Soccer League is formed by U.S. Soccer -- well-heeled, smart, soccer people. They engage MLS teams; half the teams are owned by MLS franchises. Our league, the WUSA, had Comcast, Fox Communications, Time Warner, Discovery all behind it, putting in millions of dollars, but they weren't soccer-savvy. For the women's team league to survive, they need the established identity that hits the ground running and knows how to run the sport. And we've not been secretive about it. We think the one viable option is the WNHL. And that's what we're moving towards."

Coyne Schofield was as strong as I've ever heard her on the topic of professional women's hockey.

"I think we want to go to where the WNBA is today," Coyne Schofield said. "Now we have to go over 20 years back, and that's where hockey is today. We don't have a professional league that's sustainable. There's a few professional leagues -- one folded in April this year, one is still going -- but they are simply being labeled as professional. They're not acting as professional. There's not one thing that's been professional about the league. The product, the treatment of the players, the pay."

Along that topic, I spoke with WNBA players union president Nneka Oguwmike at the summit. I thought these comments about the WNBA/NBA relationship were especially interesting, if you think about the NHL getting involved with a woman's league.

"Without the NBA, we wouldn't be here," Ogwumike said. "I think that it is true: We do need the support of men's leagues, to be honest. I was talking with Kendall [Coyne Schofield], and she was saying, we just need the NHL to buy in. Quite frankly, that's a big reason why we're successful: because we have a brother league that helped get us started and helped sustain us. I think that maybe complacency with initial success has kind of slowed things down, progressively, for us. I think that as the game grows, we have to grow the business. We find ourselves in a moment where we can't continue to do the same old thing. That same old thing may work to get a league started as the women in hockey are looking to do. But to sustain it, you have to invest in it as much as you have in the men's league."

Three Stars of the Week

Pekka Rinne, G, Nashville Predators

The Predators' offense looks fantastic right now (leading the league with 4.09 goals per game) but let's not overlook Rinne's strong play. The Nashville goaltender won his two starts this week, stopping 52 of 53 shots for a .981 save percentage.

Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins

The Bruins had a strong week -- defeating the rival Maple Leafs, blanking the Blues in a Stanley Cup rematch then thrashing the Rangers on Sunday night. Brad Marchand was a big part of that, tallying three goals and five assists in three games last week.

Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues

The Blues are still working out some early-season funks, and they could be without Vladimir Tarasenko, who missed this weekend's games with an upper-body injury. Lucky, the newly extended Schenn has stepped up offensively, with four goals in four games.

What we liked this past week

• Gary Bettman with a decent deadpan? Say it ain't so!

#NHL commissioner Gary Bettman asked about playoff format at #HeritageClassic event: "We think the format we have works extremely well ... unless you're a Leafs fan."

— Donna Spencer (@DLSpencer10) October 25, 2019

• This play by Predators goalie Pekka Rinne -- to shovel the puck above Eric Staal's head, to avoid a delay of game penalty after skating far outside his crease -- is quite creative, and well-executed.

• Kudos to Stanley Cup champion (and Capitals folk-hero) Devante Smith-Pelly for finding a new hockey home. He has reportedly signed with the Kunlun Red Star of the KHL.

• Interesting story on the Blue Jackets website about a team-wide sleep study. I recommend you read the whole thing. This quote from Pierre-Luc Dubois, though, is all-time beauty: "Sometimes you start watching 'Love Island' and you don't want to go to bed because you are like, 'Oh, what is going to happen next?' You stay up for another hour, and then you're not tired anymore. It's just being mature about it."

• Nice to see Daniel Sedin still getting after it, finishing a marathon in under three hours. What a world class athlete. Notably missing in this photo? Henrik. You're on the clock, bro.

We congrats Daniel Sedin for running his 1st long-race, the TCS Amsterdam Marathon the other day. Only 2% of all marathoners ever runs a sub-3 Mara. Danny finished his first marathon race in 2.57...?? Simply amazing, if not unique. I am sure Henrik soon will try to match that. pic.twitter.com/1LravR2Ry9

— Claes Elefalk (@elefalk) October 24, 2019

What we didn't like this past week

• Concerned and monitoring the situation around Vladimir Tarasenko, who stayed home from the Blues' recent road trip, including a rematch of the Stanley Cup final with a visit to the Bruins. The star winger (10 points in 10 games so far) will be re-evaluated on Monday after suffering an upper-body injury versus the Kings on Thursday night.

• You have to feel for 19-year-old Flyers rookie Joel Farabee. He appeared to have scored his first NHL goal on the road in Chicago this week -- only to have it called back for offsides. He then appeared to record his first NHL assist. Again, it was called back for offsides. Both times, linemate Kevin Hayes was the culprit. Farabee did get his first assist later in the game. Naturally, it was Hayes who scored.

• Rangers rookie Kaapo Kakko is awesome when he's confident and happy. We don't like hearing these quotes from sad Kakko, who endured a bit of a slump as the Rangers endured a five-game losing streak. "Hockey isn't very much fun for me right now," Kakko told Finland's Eastside Media earlier in the week, according to a translation from reporter Pasi Tuominen. "Things haven't been working out, and sometimes I feel like I could be on the ice a bit more. It would be cool to get a chance on the first line at some point. I understand that it hasn't been realistic so far, since I haven't really showed much."

Games of the week

Tuesday, Oct. 29: Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs

See if John Carlson can match Al Macinnis' record for points for a defenseman in October! But also see some exciting, wide-open hockey. These are two of the top four scoring teams in the league.

Thursday, Oct. 31: Montreal Canadiens at Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN+)

What's spookier than Halloween hockey? Well, a lot actually. But this isn't a bad plan if you're manning the door waiting for trick-or-treaters.

Friday, Nov. 1: Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche (ESPN+)

Don't look now, but the Stars could be climbing their way out of the early mess, winning three of their last four. The Avs are the team to beat in the West, especially after a thrashing of Vegas last week.

Quote of the week

After the Blue Jackets beat the Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime, John Tortorella had a message for those who doubted his team this season:

#CBJ coach John Tortorella: "We're supposed to suck this year."

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) October 22, 2019

Pep Guardiola has questioned whether Manchester City can continue to cope with their lengthy injury list.

The champions are without Aymeric Laporte, Leroy Sane, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Rodri, and coach Guardiola has said the number of absentees is a becoming a concern as they attempt to chase down league leaders Liverpool.

"The problem for the short term, we can handle it. For a long time, I don't know," Guardiola said.

- When does the transfer window reopen?

"Of course, against top, top, top, top teams when you don't have players playing in their own position, I don't know what's going to happen."

After beating Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday, City are back in action against Southampton in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

As well as the players sidelined through injury, Guardiola will be without Fernandinho after the Brazil international was sent off against Villa.

"We don't have Fernandinho for the Carabao Cup, we have to play another one," Guardiola said.

"We have an academy and we have other solutions, and when the spirit is correct and you want to help, always you go through. It is what it is.

"These situations exist in football, especially in one season, one long season."

City face Southampton twice in the space of five days this week with Ralph Hasenhuttl's side back at the Etihad Stadium in the league on Saturday.

The Carabao Cup tie is Southampton's first game following their 9-0 mauling by Leicester at St Mary's on Friday and Guardiola is wary of a team be believes will be keen to bounce back quickly.

"It's not easy, but they are incredible professionals," he said.

"The manager will be sad for a moment, for one night, but after that they have to move forward.

"They will try to do their best so I am not going to judge them on or prepare to play against them based on what happened against Leicester, so it's a little bit strange."

Southampton players and coaching staff have pledged to donate their wages from Friday's humiliating 9-0 defeat by Leicester City to the club's charitable foundation in an attempt to put things right with their supporters.

Leicester recorded the biggest English top-flight away win by thrashing 10-man Southampton at St Mary's, with hat tricks from Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy helping to inflict Saints' worst home defeat in their 133-year history.

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"The squad has been working on putting things right for the club's supporters," Southampton said in a statement.

"As the first step towards that, the group has decided that they wish to donate their wages from the day of the Leicester game to Saints Foundation, in order to help the vital work that is conducted by the charity."

No more talking. No more messages.#SaintsFC manager Ralph Hasenhüttl says the only suitable response now can come via his team's actions: pic.twitter.com/jERucgJ799

— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) October 27, 2019

The players would look to make further amends in the upcoming double-header against Manchester City, who Southampton face first in the League Cup on Tuesday and then in the Premier League on Saturday.

Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said his team would not stay up this season unless they found a way to improve.

"We must know that when we play like this, we have no chance to stay in this league, that is for sure," he told reporters. "Everybody knows this. It's about us now, to try and find a way to do better than this."

The defeat sent Southampton, who lost Ryan Bertrand to an early red card, into the relegation zone, while Leicester stayed third in the table, eight points behind leaders Liverpool.

Lionel Messi has said he does not like to be substituted and would rather start the game from the bench.

In the past, the Barcelona captain has refused to be taken out of a game even when his team is winning by a big margin.

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"I don't like to be replaced," Messi told TyC Sports. "I prefer to come from the bench and play less than to be taken out.

"I say that because a lot of games are resolved near the end of the game, or you find more spaces then because you have more rivals that are tired. I prefer to come in and enjoy it than to leave and miss out on the best."

Messi has scored 674 goals in 829 games for Barcelona and Argentina but said scoring is just one facet of his game.

"I still think I'm not the typical goalscorer," he said. "I prefer to come from behind, to have more contact with the ball, create.

"I also like to get there in the box and score but I don't live off [scoring] goals. I like to be in constant contact with the ball.

"I have learned to adjust myself in a game and find that moment. There are times when I don't need to get involved and then I wait for that moment when I think that is the right time to give that physical wear.

"I have grown in terms of reading the game better. To know at what moment and where I can be more effective and crucial."

Messi also said he would not trade all of his club achievements to have won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in that final and Messi declared he would not have changed his career to win that competition.

"I would have loved to have been world champion and it was one of my biggest dreams, but I would not change anything," he added.

"It's what God gave me and it was for a reason. I cannot complain about what I have from a football and personal standpoint. It happened like that because God wanted it and that's that."

Hamish Rutherford, the New Zealand batsman, will return to Worcestershire as their overseas player for the whole of their 2020 campaign.

Rutherford twice filled in as a replacement for Callum Ferguson in 2019, making a pair of 50-over hundreds - against Lancashire and Northants - and another on his Championship debut.

He was flown into Sri Lanka by New Zealand in September for his first international game in four years - though was out first ball as he missed the T20 Blast quarter-finals - but is unlikely to be absent due to international duty much next season.

"I am really excited to be returning to New Road for the 2020 season," Rutherford said.

"I really enjoyed my two stints with the club last season and hopefully I can contribute to some success for the club next year. I look forward to catching up with my team-mates and support staff in April."

Paul Pridgeon, the club's cricket steering group chairman, said that signing Rutherford for the full season would be "really good for continuity".

"He did well for us and we thought trying to sign him for the entire summer was worth persevering with," Pridgeon said. "He is available for all cricket.

"Hamish was very keen to come back, he is enthusiastic and has gelled with the rest of the lads in the dressing room."

South African cricket is searching for a silver lining after the dark clouds of a disappointing World Cup, a humbling tour of India, and, back home, an administration facing multiple legal battles and millions of rands of debt. Dale Steyn and JP Duminy might have spotted one such bright spot: next month's Mzansi Super League (MSL), which, they believe, could prompt a revival for the flagging domestic game and mine the depths of what looks like a shallow talent pool to prop up the national side.

"It's huge for domestic cricket in South Africa. If you look back two, three or maybe even five years, domestic cricket was on a downward spiral," Duminy, who will play for Paarl Rocks, said at a launch event for the second edition of the MSL in Cape Town. "The revival of the T20 game and the model of the MSL is something I am quite excited about. You have international cricketers moulded with young talent and that's going only going to leave us in good stead."

While Cape Town Blitz's Steyn acknowledged that the MSL cannot be compared to its bigger and more established brothers, especially the IPL, he said it is gaining ground. "The IPL is one of those untouchable leagues because it seems like in every IPL team, they have got at least five international Indian players as well as four overseas (stars), so there's a lot of high-quality international experience in the IPL teams. In the MSL, you maybe get three or four (internationals), but it's still good. From last year when we played, it didn't feel easy so that means there is some quality," he said.

"It's been Monday to Friday training and trying to stay fit. If you get off that wheel, you lose your fitness, you lose your competitive edge and it's something that I've tried to hold on to" Dale Steyn

Steyn looked at the MSL as a way for franchise hopefuls to force their way into the national reckoning. He singled out Rassie van der Dussen, the top scorer in the inaugural event and one of the brightest sparks in an otherwise dismal World Cup, as a player who used the tournament to make a case for selection.

"I don't think many people knew who Rassie van der Dussen was before the MSL last year and he ended up becoming player of the tournament," Steyn said. "He is putting up his hand for Test selection now. Dreams do come true if you take the opportunities. Whoever is young and up and coming, there is a great opportunity."

The tournament is also a chance for some of South Africa's more established players to rediscover their form and confidence in an environment, which Steyn said didn't present "as much pressure as international cricket", but still demanded a high standard. "Some of the senior players are also going to be enjoyable to watch and it's an opportunity for those guys to show that we are international players and this is why we belong here," he said.

Steyn put himself firmly in that category of players. Though he retired from red-ball cricket in August and has not played a competitive fixture since May, he remains available for white-ball selection and has his sights set on next year's T20 World Cup. Steyn was ruled out of the World Cup with a shoulder injury and was not considered for South Africa's T20s in India after CSA's medical team deemed him unfit, but after spending the winter working on his fitness, he said he was ready to go.

"Everyone looks at you and thinks that the last time they saw you was a certain injury but I'm fine. I'm excited to get back on the park and play cricket again," he said. "I haven't played much since the World Cup because there hasn't been much happening. But there's no rest. It's been Monday to Friday training and trying to stay fit. If you get off that wheel, you lose your fitness, you lose your competitive edge and it's something that I've tried to hold on to."

For Steyn, the quality of the quicks are the biggest drawcard the MSL will offer, not just in his squad, which includes recent Test debutant Anrich Nortje and Pakistan international Wahab Riaz, but across the board. Kyle Abbott will play for Durban Heat, Kagiso Rabada for Jozi Stars, Beuran Hendricks for Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, Hardus Viljoen for the Rocks, and Lungi Ngidi and Lutho Sipamla for Tshwane Spartans.

"I love fast bowlers. They get me excited. Anrich, last year, bowled rapid and set the tone for how I wanted to play the tournament. You want to outdo your team-mate in some sense. If you've got all these quicks in one team, one guy is trying to bowl 140, the next guy is trying to bowl 145, the next guy is trying to bowl 150, it's good for the team," Steyn remarked.

England's build-up towards the 2020 T20 World Cup will begin in earnest this week, with the start of their five-match series against New Zealand, and Jonny Bairstow hopes the squad can channel the momentum of 50-over success into next year's campaign in Australia.

England lifted the World Cup for the first time in July, having overhauled their ODI cricket under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan. Although there has been less of a focus on T20 cricket, England did reach the World T20 final in 2016 and the core personnel in the white-ball teams is largely the same.

In New Zealand, Morgan will oversee a squad featuring several new faces looking to make a mark. Bairstow is one of the senior batsmen on the tour, with Jason Roy, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali all rested, and after top-scoring in England's warm-up victory in Lincoln on Sunday, he was excited about the challenge ahead.

"I think it does feel like the start of that journey towards the T20 World Cup," Bairstow said. "It's going to come around thick and fast. Seeing guys who've played county cricket taking the step up to international cricket is going to be fascinating. That, coupled with the guys that are not on this tour but will come back into the team, there's going to be competition for places.

"The cycle for the 50-over World Cup started four years ago. Hopefully we're fortunate enough that the way we've played our 50-over cricket will lead us well into our T20 cricket.

"It's a fascinating period to be playing cricket for England. There's some very, very talented guys that have played a lot of cricket now for England that are all together and have the experience of going through the ups, the downs and everything in between."

While the T20I format tends to lose context between major global tournaments - England's last outing, against Pakistan in May, saw Ben Duckett open the batting and Ben Foakes take the gloves - there is now a clear 12-month run-in for teams to hone their approach. Bairstow is one of a number of England players to have benefited from the ECB hierarchy relaxing its stance on IPL participation, and he suggested the Hundred could also increase Morgan's options.

"You've got guys playing T20 in competitions around the world whether that be the Indian Premier League, Big Bash or whatever it may be, so I'm not too sure it's going to make too much of a difference," Bairstow said.

"Then you've got the Hundred that's starting next year so that's an even shorter format that will allow people to put their skills on show to potentially push for that squad.''

The tour will also bring together many of the same players that contested the 50-over World Cup final during the English summer, on an emotionally draining day at Lord's. New Zealand's defeat on boundary countback is likely to gain a mention, even if there are no ODIs scheduled, and Bairstow said they were wary of the hosts' qualities - despite captain Kane Williamson missing the series through injury.

"They're dangerous no matter what," he said. "We'll be expecting a very tough challenge and that's every time you play against New Zealand because they've got quality all the way through. They are a great bunch of fellas but naturally what happened at Lord's is going to be quite tough for those guys and there will be a fire in their belly and a hunger to put things right.''

England could also draw inspiration from watching the rugby team see off the All Blacks in Japan on Saturday morning, setting up the possibility of more World Cup glory at New Zealand's expense.

"We all watched it at the team hotel and it was amazing to see," Bairstow said. "To say you've watched the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand when England were playing New Zealand is pretty cool. Two England World Cup-winning teams in one year would be special, wouldn't it?"

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted early Monday morning that he and his family has had to evacuate their house due to the wildfires that are blazing throughout California.

Man these LA ? aren't no joke. Had to emergency evacuate my house and I've been driving around with my family trying to get rooms. No luck so far! ??‍♂️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019

Finally found a place to accommodate us! Crazy night man!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019

I ?? for all the families in the area that could be affected by these ???????????? now! Pretty please get to safety ASAP

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019

Early Monday, a brush fire broke out along the west side of Interstate 405, north of Sunset Boulevard and near the Getty Center in Southern California. It had grown to more than 70 acres by 4 a.m. and was moving west and south, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fire is threatening the Brentwood neighborhood where James bought a house when he joined the Lakers in 2018.

The LAFD called the fire "a very dynamic situation due to high winds'' and issued mandatory evacuation orders for people living between the freeway and Mandeville Canyon.

Fire conditions statewide made California "a tinderbox,'' said Jonathan Cox, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Of the state's 58 counties, 43 were under red flag warnings for high fire danger Sunday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfires, powered by gusts that reached more than 102 mph.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We're just one week into the regular season, and we've already seen some historic debuts, an overtime buzzer-beater, plenty of coach's challenges ... and, of course, the unraveling of the Golden State dynasty before our very eyes.

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 are looking most like title contenders.

Previous rankings: Week 1 | Training camp | Free agency | Post-Finals

1. LA Clippers
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 1

The opening-night win over the Lakers felt like a statement beyond just general NBA contendership terms, but one localized directly at the supposed big brother across the hall. And to follow it up by a demolition of the Warriors, the Clippers were sending messages in bold. Perhaps that's the justification for the slip to the Suns, but it's also a reminder that while the Clippers are high-octane, they also have more yet to come as they await Paul George's debut. -- Young

This week: CHA, @UTAH, SA, UTAH

2. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 3

It is only a two-game sample, but there is a sense of a mental toughness developing in Philadelphia. In the two wins against Boston and Detroit, the 76ers have outscored opponents by a combined 22 points in the second half. The win against the Pistons also showed how valuable the addition of Al Horford is to this team. Without injured Joel Embiid, Horford moved to the center position to score 23 points, grab nine rebounds and hold Detroit's Andre Drummond to a pedestrian 13 points. -- Marks

This week: @ATL, MIN, @POR

3. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 2

The Bucks produced the best record and scoring margin in the NBA last season, and entered this season as the favorite in the Eastern Conference. They started with a tough win on the road in Houston and a surprising loss to the Heat at home, with Giannis Antetokounmpo producing monster numbers but fouling out of both games. Once they find their rhythm and Antetokounmpo gets the fouls under control, the Bucks project to be dominant on both offense and defense again this season. -- Snellings

This week: CLE, @BOS, @ORL, TOR

4. Denver Nuggets
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 4

The Nuggets don't have the luxury of sneaking up on anyone anymore but still handled their business opening week. A small taste of revenge against the Trail Blazers, where the offense hummed and shots dropped, and then the opposite where Denver overcame an off night to hold off the scrappy Suns in overtime. Denver is now one of the West's hunted teams, but with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray already in form, they look ready to embrace it. -- Young

This week: @SAC, DAL, @NO, @ORL

5. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 5

Dwight Howard might have secured his much-needed breakthrough game with the Lakers, proving he can still be a force in the NBA. The journeyman eight-time All-Star had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds while making all eight of his field goal attempts and blocking four shots -- he was plus-23 in 23 minutes -- during a win over Charlotte on Sunday night. Howard averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds over the first two games this season. -- Spears

This week: MEM, @DAL, @SA

6. Houston Rockets
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 6

Russell Westbrook (26 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists per game) lived up to high expectations as the Rockets split their first two games. James Harden hasn't played up to his standards so far this season, making only 3 of 26 3-point attempts. "He's just lost his rhythm a little bit," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Nothing to worry about. There's no way it's going to last this way. He's fine." -- MacMahon

This week: OKC, @WAS, @BKN, @MIA

7. Utah Jazz
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 7

Mike Conley's first two games in a Jazz uniform couldn't have been much uglier, as he misfired on all but four of his 27 field goal attempts and had almost as many turnovers (six) as assists (eight). Not that anyone with the Jazz was worried about the point guard's fit in Utah at that point. Conley looked like himself in Saturday's blowout of the Kings, when he had 12 points and eight assists. The Jazz hoped that Conley's arrival would benefit Donovan Mitchell, and the early returns on that are positive, with the young star guard averaging an efficient 23.7 points (68.1 true shooting percentage) in the first week. -- MacMahon

This week: @PHX, LAC, @SAC, @LAC

8. Boston Celtics
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 11

Chalk up Kemba Walker's 4-for-18 performance in a loss to Philadelphia to opening-night jitters. Since the loss, Walker has shot 19-for-39 from the field, 9-for-20 from 3 and averaged 27 points in back-to-back wins against Toronto and New York. -- Marks

This week: MIL, NY

9. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 15

The four-year, $64 million extension signed by Dejounte Murray might turn out to be quite the team-friendly deal. Murray, 23, who missed all of last season because of a knee injury, has already proven himself as one of the NBA's premier defensive point guards. He's looked like a drastically improved all-around player during the Spurs' 2-0 start. He has been smooth offensively, averaging 5.0 assists and 18.5 points on 60% shooting in only 23.4 minutes per game. -- MacMahon

This week: POR, @LAC, @GS, LAL

10. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 8

After going the distance in last season's playoffs, "Game 8" between the Nuggets and Blazers didn't go Portland's way, as Denver made plays and hit shots down the stretch. A convincing bounce-back over the shaky Kings and a clutch time win over the Mavs, however, is the kind of thing the Blazers do. It's why they keep making the playoffs, it's why they're always around 50 wins. Though if Zach Collins misses extended time because of a dislocated left shoulder, it'll be an early test for this Blazers' front line. -- Young

This week: @SA, @OKC, PHI

11. Toronto Raptors
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 13

The defending champs have started the season by winning two of their first three games, led by reigning NBA Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam. Siakam is looking to make another leap, and is averaging just under 29 points and 11 rebounds for the first week of the season. Sporting a deep and veteran cast, the Raptors could be poised for a stronger-than-predicted defense of their championship this season. -- Snellings

This week: ORL, DET, @MIL

12. Miami Heat
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 14

Beating Memphis on opening night with a dominant fourth quarter? Not all that notable. Beating Giannis and Milwaukee in overtime (on the road) after a dominant fourth-quarter comeback? Very notable. And this was without Jimmy Butler, by the way, who has been away from the team following the birth of his daughter. In the top-heavy East, there's a lot of room in the middle, and the Heat haven't generated much chatter. That might start changing with more weeks like this one. -- Young

This week: ATL, @ATL, HOU

13. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 16

Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis definitely haven't done anything to diminish the hope that the Mavs' young franchise cornerstones can develop into one of the league's elite duos in the not-too-distant future. They are the only pair of teammates to both rank among the NBA's top 10 scorers at this early stage, with Doncic averaging 29.3 points and Porzingis putting up 26.3. And you can see the chemistry starting to form between them: After assisting on only one Porzingis bucket in the first two games, Doncic had five dimes to the big man during Porzingis' 32-point performance Sunday. -- MacMahon

This week: @DEN, LAL, @CLE

14. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 9

Kyrie Irving's efforts late in the fourth quarter against the Knicks salvaged a split for the Nets mini-two game homestand to start the season. If there is a concern moving forward, it's the turnover to assist ratio in Brooklyn: In those two games, Brooklyn averaged 20 assists to 21 turnovers, including 26 turnovers against New York. Last season, the Nets topped 20 turnovers only eight times, with a season-high 23 against Boston in early January. Another early Achilles heel for Brooklyn? The inability to close out games: The Nets blew fourth-quarter leads in all three games, eventually losing in OT to Minnesota and Memphis. -- Marks

This week: IND, HOU, @DET

15. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 3-0
Week 1 ranking: 21

The undefeated Timberwolves have achieved their early success with a balanced team effort around transcendent superstar Karl-Anthony Towns, who has put up dominant numbers to start his fifth season (32.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, 3.0 steals per game). Towns will turn 24 in November, and will look to carry the Timberwolves to their second playoffs appearance in the past three seasons. -- Snellings

This week: @PHI, @WAS

16. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 23

Trae Young has been living up to his nickname "Ice Trae" so far. Young averaged 38.5 points in 36.5 minutes over his first two contests, while shooting 70.7% from the field and 55% from 3-point range. But a big test comes early this week for Young and the undefeated Hawks: Philadelphia comes to town Monday night. -- Spears

This week: PHI, @MIA, MIA

17. Golden State Warriors
Record: 0-2
Week 1 ranking: 10

Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are gone. Klay Thompson is out indefinitely because of a knee injury. Newcomers Willie Cauley-Stein and Alec Burks and veteran forward Kevon Looney are injured and out. Add the Warriors' youth, and their horrible start -- including 28-point blowout loss Sunday in Oklahoma City -- makes sense. -- Spears

This week: @NO, PHX, SA, CHA

18. Orlando Magic
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 18

Point guard has been a position of need for the Magic for years, and Markelle Fultz has played two solid games off the bench thus far to give them some hope for the position moving forward. The former No. 1 overall pick, who has struggled to find his shot since entering the league with Philly in 2017, has scored 12 points in each game, even adding his first two 3-pointers of the season Saturday night in Atlanta. -- Snellings

This week: @TOR, NY, MIL, DEN

19. Indiana Pacers
Record: 0-2
Week 1 ranking: 12

The Pacers went winless during the first week of the season as they have tried to acclimate three new starters around their foundation of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, who are averaging a combined 39.5 points and 19 rebounds. New point guard Malcolm Brogdon was the star of the first week while averaging a strong double-double of 26 points and 10.5 assists. The Pacers will try to remain in the playoff hunt until injured star Victor Oladipo is able to return from injury. -- Snellings

This week: @DET, @BKN, CLE, CHI

20. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 19

It's no big surprise the post-Westbrook era started with some bumps, with OKC's first two games featuring a cumbersome offense that ranked last in the league. But a blowout of the defenseless Warriors showed signs of what the Thunder are trying to move toward without a high-usage, ball-dominant player -- more passing, more cutting, more moving. Over the past four seasons, the Thunder were last in the league in passes per game, but are 17th so far this season, averaging about 36.5 more per game, according to Second Spectrum. -- Young

This week: @HOU, POR, NO

21. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 0-3
Week 1 ranking: 17

It has been a bummer of a start for the Pelicans, particularly because of the knee surgery that will sideline No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson for six to eight weeks. But Brandon Ingram has been a major bright spot, averaging 27.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists through three games, displaying the talent level that led the Lakers to select him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 draft. -- MacMahon

This week: GS, DEN, @OKC

22. Phoenix Suns
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 26

Suns fans probably couldn't have predicted a 2-1 start, which included handing the Clippers their first loss of the season. Devin Booker is averaging 23.3 points and 8.3 assists, but hats off to new head coach Monty Williams for getting his team off to the stunning start. Excitement in Phoenix is tempered, however, after the NBA announced Thursday that Deandre Ayton -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft -- has been suspended 25 games for a violation of the NBA's anti-drug policy after testing positive for a banned diuretic. -- Spears

This week: UTAH, @GS, @MEM

23. Detroit Pistons
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 22

The Pistons won their opener in Indiana but have since lost to the Hawks and Joel Embiid-less 76ers. They have struggled on defense, giving up at least 117 points in each game on a combined 49% shooting that is near the bottom of the league. The Pistons have been playing without the injured Blake Griffin, but new addition Derrick Rose has already earned some "M-V-P" chants from the home crowd while averaging 25.3 points through the first week. -- Snellings

This week: IND, @TOR, @CHI, BKN

24. Chicago Bulls
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 24

Lauri Markkanen has opened the season averaging a double-double -- 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds the first two games -- but could have averaged over 20-plus if he were shooting from deep the way he had previously. The 7-footer shot over 35% from 3-point range his first two seasons but missed 18 of 21 in his first three games this season. -- Spears

This week: @NY, @CLE, DET, @IND

25. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 27

Memphis' overtime win Sunday over Brooklyn might be a game that Grizzlies fans talk about for a long time. It was a coming-out party for No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant, who displayed a phenomenal blend of athleticism and competitiveness in a duel with perennial All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Morant scored 17 of his 30 points during the fourth quarter, when the Grizzlies came back from an eight-point deficit. He also blocked Irving's shot at the buzzer to send the game into OT. Morant's ninth assist was to Jae Crowder for the winning 3 at the buzzer. -- MacMahon

This week: @LAL, PHX

26. Washington Wizards
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 25

The Wizards started the season banged up and cobbled together a second unit of Who He Play For All-Stars, but they play hard and they play together -- basically the opposite of last season's team. And with it, Rui Hachimura has the look of an intriguing rookie who might be even better than the already optimistic expectations. Which, if that's the case, the outlook for the Wizards, previously one of the darkest in the league, might be a bit brighter. -- Young

This week: HOU, MIN

27. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 30

Despite a 1-2 start, there is something to like about the Hornets after Week 1: Head coach James Borrego has made a concerted effort to focus on their young players, primarily PJ Washington, Dwayne Bacon, Miles Bridges and Devonte' Graham. The four each logged over 20 minutes in the first two games. -- Marks

This week: @LAC, @SAC, @GS

28. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 29

The Cavaliers turned back the clock in their home opener against Indiana. The 11-point win saw veterans Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson combine for 46 points and 26 rebounds (Thompson also made his first NBA 3-pointer!). The challenge for new head coach John Beilein will be continuing to find the right mix of minutes for a roster that is focused on player development but heavily laden with veterans on expiring deals. The Cavaliers have six players in the last year of their contract. -- Marks

This week: @MIL, CHI, @IND, DAL

29. Sacramento Kings
Record: 0-3
Week 1 ranking: 20

The Kings lost their first two road games by an average of 30.5 points, and new Sacramento coach Luke Walton pulled his starters with 8:39 left in the third quarter at Utah on Saturday night after they fell behind by 32. The Kings' offense is a work in progress: They've shot under 40% in two of their three games. -- Spears

This week: DEN, CHA, UTAH, @NY

30. New York Knicks
Record: 0-3
Week 1 ranking: 28

We would give the Knicks the benefit of the doubt if the lackluster second-half performance against Boston could be attributed to youth. That is not the case as veterans Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris Sr. played a combined 20 minutes when New York was outscored 36-19 in the fourth quarter. The lone bright spot? The play of No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett: In the Knicks' three losses, Barrett has averaged 21.0 points while shooting 53.8% from deep. -- Marks

This week: CHI, @ORL, @BOS, SAC