Another Laker Is Now an Award Frontrunner After Last Night
The Lakers put together what was easily their most impressive win of the season last night. They took down the Detroit Pistons in Detroit, who entered the game with the number one-ranked defense in the NBA.
Not only were the Lakers up against a stout defense, but they were without their 40 PPG MVP candidate, Luka Dončić. After starting the season off being disrespected in the player of the week voting, Dončić has made his greatness impossible to deny.
He now leads the Kia MVP Ladder ahead of superstars like Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After last night, Dončić isn’t the only Laker to now be considered the favorite to win an award.
JJ Redick Is Now NBA Coach of the Year Frontrunner
Wait, this couldn’t be true. I was under the impression that this man was simply a podcaster and nothing else. Could it be his now 86-10 record (All-Time NBA best) when leading at halftime? Could it be him leading a team many were calling a play-in team to the 1st-seed early in the season?
Regardless, many true ball knowers knew it was only a matter of time before he started leaving his mark on the league. Now, JJ Redick is the current favorite to win NBA Coach of the Year, according to Polymarket.
Updated Coach of the Year rankings:
JJ Redick – 19%
Micah Nori – 17%
Chris Finch – 12%
Dusty May – 12%
Ime Udoka – 12%
Nick Nurse – 9%
Mark Daigneault – 6%
J.B. Bickerstaff – 5%
Steve Kerr – 5%
Tuomas Iisalo – 5%
Joe Mazzulla – 4%(Via Polymarket) https://t.co/IZ40hG1M3A
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 9, 2026
The Lakers have arguably been the best team in the NBA in this early season. Obviously, a large part of that is Luka Dončić playing at a simply mind-boggling level right now. Another fairly overlooked part is how well JJ has this team gelled after so much roster turnover.
No team in the league had as many players enter and exit the organization as the Los Angeles Lakers. To get buy-in that quickly and to get your players playing your style of basketball that quickly is incredibly impressive.
He even called his shot this offseason once the team started to take shape. Before training camp, JJ said, “I think with this group, probably the first time in my three years here that I feel like the pieces actually fit together.”
He was a major voice in deciding who the organization brought in this season. Redick had a clear vision in his head of how he wanted the team to play, and now that he has the proper roster to do that, the Lakers look like the best team in basketball.
Last night’s victory against Detroit on the road told two stories. One, Austin Reaves is the best number two option in the league. The other is that JJ Redick has the Lakers playing phenomenal all-around basketball. It’s about time he gets recognition for it.
Even if he doesn’t win it this season, be prepared for the JJ Redick Era, because were watching the start of greatness in real time.
