Following the win over the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers have won six straight games and are sporting a record of 10-2, which has the team sitting atop the Western Conference standings.

During this stretch of games, superstar guard Luka Doncic has been putting on a show, leading the NBA in scoring once again at 39.3 points per game.

Doncic’s play has been one of the primary reasons for the Lakers’ success this season, but Magic Johnson believes head coach JJ Redick deserves some credit for the job he’s done as the leader on the sideline.

Magic Johnson: JJ Redick Has ‘Become a Great NBA Coach’

Redick’s coaching job has gotten somewhat overshadowed by Doncic’s performance this season.

With the Lakers losing future Hall of Famer LeBron James in NBA free agency this past summer and bringing in nine new players, Redick had a tall task heading into the 2026-27 campaign, to say the least.

If the Lakers continue to win games consistently while sitting at the top of the West standings or at least near the top, Redick will almost certainly get some serious consideration for his first NBA Coach of the Year award.

JJ Redick Getting Some NBA Coach of the Year Buzz

Currently, Redick is the favorite to win the regular-season award, according to Polymarket via NBA Central’s X account.

With 70 games left to go in the 2026-27 season, there’s a long way to go for Redick and his squad.

However, he’s off to a great start in what could be an incredible year for the storied franchise, as this team has already exceeded expectations in the early going, proving to be one of the best teams in the West.

Magic Johnson: New-Look Lakers ‘Mentally & Physically Tougher’

Johnson sees a different Lakers team in comparison to last season, with the mentality and physicality of the squad going to another level.

Despite having so many new players around stars Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers have hit the ground running with some remarkable chemistry while putting the league on notice.

The real question moving forward is whether Redick’s team can continue playing at this level, especially when the competition ramps up against some of the best teams in the league, like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.