Will Stephen Curry Always Be the Warrior’s MVP?
In 2015, we mentioned how Stephen Curry “saved” the NBA by reviving interest in the sport with his dominance in the league. He was the MVP in a Golden State Warriors team that started the 2015–2016 season 23-0 and was battling LeBron James as basketball’s most recognizable star. He finished that season winning his second consecutive Maurice Podoloff Trophy (the first to do so unanimously), albeit without leading the Dubs to a second straight title (losing to the Cavs in a one-for-the-ages Finals). Enter, Kevin Durant, who the Warriors signed that summer to a two-year, $54.3 million contract. With the 2014 NBA MVP in tow, the Warriors won that season’s championship, as well as the next. We love dominance in sports, and Curry and the Dubs are the embodiment of dominance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_SInB-eces
This season, the Dubs look headed for a third consecutive title, having again clinched the West’s top seed and home court advantage throughout the Playoffs. That number 1 seeding bodes well for the Warriors, as bwin Basketball describes how 11 of the 19 NBA champions from the Western Conference (since the Playoffs expanded to 16 teams), were top seeds, including the 2014-15 and 2016-17 Warriors. The Dubs needed every bit of that home court advantage in the second round, where 3 of their 4 wins came at home, including that pivotal game 5 when the Warriors hung on despite losing Durant to injury. Then Curry delivered a one-for-the-books fourth quarter in the Dubs’ series’ clinching game 6 win over their rivals. Curry has been sensational since Durant’s injury, but everyone in Golden State believes the team will eventually need the Grim Reaper back to achieve the three-peat.
Given Curry’s latest supernova streak and Durant’s leading role in his three seasons with the Dubs, it might be time to ask: Is Curry still the Warriors’ MVP?
The best shooter alive
The answer is yes. Sure, Durant is the Warriors’ best player, but Curry is their most valuable. As NBA analyst Rohan Nadkarni explains to Sports Illustrated, Curry’s impact is a constant. His transcendent shooting must be accounted for at all times by every team in the NBA, and this alone changes the dynamics of how defenses play the Dubs. He is, thus, the fulcrum of the Warriors’ historically good offense — even without the ball. Hand him the ball and he is equally dangerous, leveraging his shooting to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Plus, Curry’s inhuman range effectively reconfigures the court for the Warriors. He can shoot anywhere past half court, and that ability spaces the floor unlike anyone in NBA history. This means more spacing for the Dubs, and more room to operate for Durant and everybody else (notably, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, Golden State’s do-it-all forwards).
Leading a juggernaut
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Curry’s leadership — underrated according to an NBA GM Survey — is also vital to the Warriors. The Warriors, up until recently, haven’t been any good, but with Curry showing the way, they have become a juggernaut. Dubs coach Steve Kerr even compares Curry’s leadership to that of Tim Duncan, who himself helped transform the culture of the San Antonio Spurs. Steph’s joy, confidence, and poise rub off on his teammates, and his selflessness has allowed Kerr to install an offense predicated on sharing the ball.
Selfless superstar
Curry’s unselfishness is actually uncanny. Steph could’ve opposed the Warriors’ recruitment of Durant, but he didn’t. He signed off on it, even texting Durant that “he could care less” as to who will be the face of the franchise. It was an alpha sacrificing for the greater good, and that ultimately swayed Durant to come aboard.
These are the reasons why Curry is, and will always be, the Dubs’ MVP. His impact on and off the court has been invaluable. He has proven that yet again in this postseason, leading the Warriors to crucial victories (games 5 and 6 against Houston and games 1 and 2 versus Portland so far) sans an injured Durant. Given how he has helped transform the Warriors from mediocre to mighty, not many fans would disagree.
