NBA Coach of the Year (COY) rankings 2024-25: JJ Redick's stock rises as Lakers shine in Week 19

Don’t look now, but the LA Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, surging to the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. Since acquiring Luka Doncic, the Lakers have been the talk of the league, and they’ve lived up to the hype, winning seven straight games as the former Mavericks star steadily finds his rhythm.

With LA’s red-hot run and all the movement around the league, where does coach J.J. Redick rank in our top five?

Here are the top five candidates after Week 19.

Top five NBA Coach of the Year candidates after Week 19

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

The OKC Thunder have 20 games left in the season and still maintain an 11-game lead over the Lakers for the No. 1 seed in the West. They’ve won five straight games and are poised to carry their momentum into the playoffs, as Mark Daigneault continues to solidify OKC’s dominance in the conference.

Through 62 games, the Thunder boast the league’s best defensive and net rating. With Chet Holmgren still being fully integrated, OKC is setting itself up for a strong postseason push.

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

Michael Malone drops a spot as his Denver Nuggets have cooled off after a nine-game winning streak, going just 4-3 in their last seven.

The Nuggets face a challenging schedule to close out the season — the fifth hardest in the league, according to Tankathon — including two matchups each against the Thunder, Lakers and Warriors. How they navigate this stretch could determine both Malone’s ranking and Denver’s playoff seeding.

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#3. J.J. Redick (Last week’s ranking: #4)

For the first time since topping the list in Week 1, J.J. Redick returns to the top three. When the Lakers traded defensive anchor Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, many expected their defense to take a hit. Instead, they’ve been dominant on that end of the floor.

During their seven-game winning streak, the Lakers have posted the best defensive rating in the NBA, proving they’re peaking at the right time with Doncic and LeBron James leading the charge as the playoffs approach.

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#2. J.B. Bickerstaff (Last week’s ranking: #2)

J.B. Bickerstaff holds onto the No. 2 spot as his Detroit Pistons appear on track for their first playoff berth since 2019.

After an eight-game winning streak, the Pistons have gone 2-2 in their last four, but they still sit at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference with a 35-28 record. They remain five games ahead of the nearest competitor for the final guaranteed playoff spot.

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

Kenny Atkinson remains at the top — and deservedly so. The Cleveland Cavaliers have won 12 straight games, mirroring their dominant start to the season.

That streak includes impressive victories over the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, further reinforcing why Atkinson has consistently topped this list more than any other coach.