Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer has become the clear frontrunner to win NBA coach of the year as the end of the regular season approaches. The betting site BetOnline.com currently has Budenholzer as the heavy favorite at -500. Behind him are Denver Nuggets coach Mike Malone and Indiana Pacers coach Nate McMillan.

There is no denying that Budenholzer has done an excellent job with the team. Even after losing Sunday night to former mentor Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs, the Bucks hold a record of 50-17. This is four losses ahead of the second-best team in the league, the Golden State Warriors.

Not many predicted that the Bucks would be this good at the beginning of the year. Even with MVP candidate Giannis Antentokounmpo and several solid pieces around him, most pundits predicted the Bucks would not even be the top team in their own conference.

Instead, under Budenholzer's tutelage, the team has taken the league by storm. The Bucks are a defensive juggernaut. They currently hold the best defensive rating in the league per NBA stats.com, maintaining a defensive rating of 104.7.

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When the stifling defense is paired with the free-flowing offense that Budenholzer so effectively used in Atlanta, the Bucks have looked downright dangerous. They consistently blow teams out and have the most double-digit victories in the league.

Budenholzer won NBA Coach of the Year once already in 2015, while he was with the Atlanta Hawks. Barring an upset, it looks like he will be taking some more personal hardware home by season's end.