Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information.
The current state of NBA coaching seems to be stronger than ever across the board. The old guard is still represented by Doc Rivers of the Bucks, Rick Carlisle of the Pacers and Mike Brown of the Knicks, all coaches who got their first NBA head coaching job 20 years ago.
Then there are young coaches who have done an admirable job with teams perennially bound for the draft lottery like Jordi Fernandez of the Nets or Will Hardy of the Jazz.
This season there are two teams in each conference that have made a noticeable leap from last season: the Spurs in the West and the Pistons in the East. The Spurs have the third-best record in the West behind the Thunder and Nuggets, while the Pistons have the best record in the East with a 2.5-game lead in the standings over the second-place Knicks.
It should be no surprise that Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff (+250) and Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson (+1000) have the second- and third-shortest odds to win coach of the year behind Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault.
It’s hard to assess what makes a good coach beyond wins and losses, but the Coach of the Year award tends to center around teams that far exceed expectations because of the perceived impact of their head coach.
The Pistons certainly fit that bill so far.
J.B. Bickerstaff and Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons. NBAE via Getty Images
They went from 14 wins during the 2024-24 season the 44 wins last season one of the biggest turnarounds in league history. Their preseason win total settled at 46.5 wins and they are nearly halfway to that number before Christmas with a 21-5 record.
The Pistons lost three of their top-five postseason scorers during free agency — Malik Beasley, Dennis Schroder and Tim Hardaway Jr. — but somehow improved on offense. Cade Cunningham will get some credit for that but, Bickerstaff has clearly had a positive impact on the Pistons who mirror his gritty personality and also have the second-best defense in the NBA.
Betting on the NBA?
If the Thunder end up winning 74 games, Daigneault has the strongest case to win Coach of the Year. But if they fall short and the Pistons maintain their current pace, it would be hard to argue against Bickerstaff.
As for the Spurs, coach Johnson, who took over as the interim coach for Gregg Popovich last season, is proving to be formidable in his own way. The Spurs also had a mid-40s win total entering the season and jumped out to a hot start early after some otherworldly performances from Victor Wembanyama.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and head coach Mitch Johnson. AP
When Wembanyama went down with an injury, the Spurs didn’t fall apart. In fact, they had an 8-4 record with Wembanyama healthy and a 9-3 record while he was injured.
The Spurs are playing at 59-win pace, which will almost certainly come down as the season progresses. That said, the Spurs are a legitimate threat to finish with a top-four seed in the West. That would be an amazing accomplishment for a team that most thought was a frisky play-in team.
Johnson’s shot at this award hinges on Wembanyama’s health and availability, but his odds at 10/1 are worth a shot after what we’ve seen from his Spurs so far this season.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Malik Smith has been immersed in the sports betting industry since 2017. He’s a data nerd with a particular focus on the NBA and combat sports. He spends his weeknights in the winter looking for edges on plus-money NBA player props.