NBA Coach of the Year 2025-26 Season: Darko Rajakovic Cracks Rankings With Raptors’ Surge (Nov. 24)

The 2025-26 NBA season is now over a month underway, and the top teams are continuing to emerge as the standings shift.

The OKC Thunder and Detroit Pistons are leading the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, while the chase behind them is shaping into a competitive battle, with nine NBA teams, including the two conference leaders, on winning streaks as of Monday morning.

So, how have these streaks impacted the NBA Coach of the Year conversation? Here’s a look at the top five contenders.

NBA Coach of the Year Power Rankings

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#5. Mitch Johnson (Last week’s ranking: Unranked)

Returning to these rankings after being dropped last week is Mitch Johnson, who previously ranked third in Week 1 and fourth in Week 2. He climbs in at No. 5 as the Spurs have compiled three consecutive wins (though they lost their latest game) without Victor Wembanyama.

Over the last four contests, San Antonio has posted the 10th-best offensive rating, led by De’Aaron Fox’s 26.5 points per game, with Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes both scoring nearly 18 ppg.

What makes this performance even more impressive is that Wembanyama isn’t the only key player missing; young talents Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are also sidelined. Credit to Johnson for demonstrating that the Spurs have talent beyond Wembanyama.

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#4. Darko Rajakovic (Last week’s ranking: Unranked)

Making his first appearance in these rankings is Darko Rajakovic, the mastermind behind the Toronto Raptors’ resurgence, who have now won seven straight games -- the third-longest streak in the league.

During that stretch, Toronto has posted the second-best net rating, the third-best effective field-goal percentage and the league’s top assist-to-turnover ratio over the past seven games.

The Raptors’ roster can look confusing on paper, but Rajakovic has made it work, with six players averaging double-digit points during the streak, led by Brandon Ingram’s 20.3 ppg, Scottie Barnes’ 18.4 ppg and both Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett scoring more than 17 ppg.

Tasked with restoring a winning culture, Rajakovic, just 17 games in, is proving he’s exactly the coach to do that.

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

JJ Redick has LeBron James back in the lineup. The Lakers played only two games this past week, both against the Jazz, and both resulted in wins -- games that neither hurt nor enhanced Redick’s case.

The Lakers are on a four-game winning streak, led by Luka Doncic, but in the last two with James back, Redick’s system has shown that The King can mesh effectively alongside two primary scorers, Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Integrating James into the Lakers’ early-season success is a major point in Redick’s favor.

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

The Detroit Pistons are on a league-best 12-game winning streak, their longest since the 2003-04 championship team went on a 13-game run, a stretch that lasted nearly a month.

They’ve strung together wins despite Cade Cunningham missing three games, while Jalen Duren has broken out, averaging career highs in points and rebounds as Detroit continues its tear.

The Pistons rank third in blocks per game and lead the league in 2-pointers made per game. They are second in defensive rating, only behind the Thunder.

With the Eastern Conference considered wide open this season, the Pistons have made a strong leap under Bickerstaff’s guidance.

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#1. Mark Daigneault (Last week’s ranking: #1)

Mark Daigneault’s OKC Thunder continue to prove why they’re the league’s best team at 17-1, often dispatching opponents in just three quarters.

Their defensive rating stands at 102.8, featuring the league-leading 10.9 steals and the seventh-best 5.5 blocks per game. They commit the second-fewest turnovers, and their offense ranks fourth in the league.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 31.1 ppg over the last nine games while playing just 30.7 minutes per night, and Ajay Mitchell has stepped up in the absence of Jalen Williams and other key players, averaging a career-high 15.6 ppg.

With Williams’ return approaching and Daigneault’s Thunder machine running like a well-oiled engine, he can continue to take his time at the top.