NBA Coach of the Year (COY) rankings 2024-25: All-Star Game-bound Kenny Atkinson, Mark Daigneault shine as red-hot teams fuel Week 16 shake-up

The NBA trade deadline has passed, and up next is All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. With just one more day of games before the break, this will be the final edition of Coach of the Year rankings before the season resumes.

Throughout the league, contenders and fringe playoff teams have gone on long winning streaks, while others have suffered unexpected losing stretches. As a result, this week’s Coach of the Year rankings have shifted.

Here are the top five NBA Coach of the Year candidates after Week 16:

Top five NBA Coach of the Year candidates after Week 16

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#5. J.B. Bickerstaff (Last week’s ranking: Unranked)

For the first time since Week 12, J.B. Bickerstaff is back in the rankings — and so are the Detroit Pistons! The surging team has won four straight games and now sits three games above .500, solidifying its hold on the No. 6 seed, the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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During this four-game streak, Detroit posted the best net rating in the league (21.5) and the best defensive rating (102.7). Their wins weren’t flukes either, as they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers and Chicago Bulls twice — both teams chasing them in the standings.

#4. Tom Thibodeau (Last week’s ranking: #2)

The New York Knicks continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings, but Tom Thibodeau drops to No. 4 due to other coaches making stronger cases.

The Knicks have won eight of their last 10 games and sit just 2.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 seed. With two All-Stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, it will be interesting to see how Thibodeau’s team performs after the All-Star break.

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#3. Michael Malone (Last week’s ranking: Unranked)

Michael Malone was just outside the top five last week, but now he makes a strong comeback to the rankings for the first time since Week 13. His Denver Nuggets currently own the NBA's longest winning streak at eight games.

Most of these wins came against teams outside the playoff picture — including the 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans (twice) and Portland Trail Blazers (twice) — but that shouldn’t diminish how Malone has helped Denver find consistency despite early-season struggles.

The Nuggets didn’t make major moves at the trade deadline, but they’re peaking at the right time.

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#2. Mark Daigneault (Last week’s ranking: #3)

Now, we move on to the All-Star Game head coaches. At No. 2 is Mark Daigneault, who has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best record in the NBA at 44-9.

OKC has won seven straight games, all by double digits, despite dealing with injuries to key players. They currently lead the Western Conference by 8.5 games over the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, solidifying themselves as a must-watch team after the break.

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#1. Kenny Atkinson (Last week’s ranking: #4)

Kenny Atkinson reclaims the top spot after an outstanding stretch by the Cleveland Cavaliers, which helped them maintain the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Like Daigneault, Atkinson will coach in the All-Star Game. However, what gives him the edge in these rankings is the fact that Coach of the Year is often a narrative-driven award — and no coach has won it in back-to-back years.

That said, this shouldn’t take away from how much Atkinson has transformed the Cavaliers.

Cleveland is currently 44-10 through 54 games — compared to 36-18 at this point last season. It will be fascinating to see how the Eastern Conference playoff race unfolds as teams gear up for the final stretch of the season.