Objectively speaking, Kenny Atkinson of the Cavaliers should be the runaway favorite to win Coach of the Year. 

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

In his first year in charge, the Cavaliers (47-10) have enjoyed significant upticks in winning percentage (.585 to .825), points per game (112.6 to 122.9), net rating (2.5 to 10.8) and all defensive metrics.

The impressive aspect is Atkinson inherited the exact roster from J.B. Bickerstaff and altered how the Cavaliers play — specifically on offense.

Even the oddsmakers agree, with Atkinson (-700) the overwhelming favorite to win the award over the Rockets’ Ime Udoka (+700) and Pistons’ Bickerstaff (+1600).

All that said, the Lakers’ JJ Redick deserves serious consideration for the job he’s done as a rookie head coach. L.A. has made only marginal improvements from the Darvin Ham era, but Redick’s impact has been felt in the intangibles: hustle, effort and team morale.

Over the last 15 games, the Lakers own the No. 1 defensive rating in the NBA despite the lack of size in the frontcourt.

Redick’s wily defensive schemes have put wings Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith in spots to cover for the lapses of Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Luka Doncic.

The scheme was so effective that Nikola Jokic was held to only seven shots against the Lakers this past weekend, as he was routinely denied the ball out of traps and weak-side pressure.

After the game, Redick said he “didn’t sleep for two days” game planning for Jokic, shedding light on his commitment to the job.

Redick has also proved to be a great motivator with his rousing pep talks. After the Lakers stunned the red-hot Nuggets on Saturday, he spoke of the team’s willingness “to die on the court” for each other.

“That should build your belief,” Redick told his players after the win. “It built my belief in what we can accomplish.”

Unlocking Austin Reaves and Max Christie

Redick also deserves a ton of credit for fast-tracking the development of Austin Reaves and Max Christie.

While the latter is no longer with the team, he found his footing under Redick, becoming a valuable piece the Mavericks wanted as part of the blockbuster Doncic trade.

Under Ham, Christie was lost in the shuffle, averaging only 14.1 minutes per night for 4.2 points per game. Under Redick, he became the team’s best perimeter defender and a reliable long-range sniper.

In January, he led all Lakers in plus/minus (+3.8) while shooting 39.2 percent from three. Christie is now producing similar numbers with the Mavericks.

Reaves has also benefited enormously from Redick’s coaching. The fourth-year guard has upped his points (15.9 to 19.2) and assists (5.5 to 6.1) from last year while draining a career-high 2.6 threes per game.

He leads all Lakers starters in plus/minus (+147) for the season.

Redick’s Coach of the Year case will only get stronger if the Lakers (34-21) can secure a top-three seed. They are within striking distance, only two games behind the third-seeded Grizzlies in the West.

It’s hard to foresee Atkinson not winning the award, given the Cavaliers own the league’s best record. However, Redick has firmly established himself as a top candidate, proving that the Lakers made the right call in investing in an unproven head coach.