Is Stephen Curry favorite to win third consecutive MVP?

Stephen Curry has won the last two Most Valuable Player awards. Can he secure a third straight one?

After a remarkable season Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry captured his second straight MVP award.

He did so while becoming the first player in NBA history to win the award with a unanimous vote, so this raises the question after an eventful Warriors offseason: should Curry be favorite to capture what would be his third consecutive MVP award?

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Curry, once again, broke the NBA single season record for most three pointers made last season, shattering the record that he set by making 402 last year. He also averaged a league leading 30.1 points per game and shot an incredible .504 from the field and .454 from behind the arc. Curry was both efficient and incredible last season so it was of shock to nobody when he captured the league MVP award.

The Warriors had a historic season of their own by breaking the single season wins record, ending the season with a 73-9 record, which sent them to the playoffs with the number one seed in the Western Conference. Heading into the playoffs, the Warriors were considered,by many, heavy favorites to repeat as NBA champions; however, after a historically painful loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, they fell short of that expectation.

Despite Curry’s incredible season he was heavily criticized for his struggles in the NBA Finals. Curry was admittedly nowhere near his regular season self as he shot a mediocre .403 from the field and although he averaged 22.6 points per game, Curry also averaged 4.3 turnovers a game in the Finals.

Overall Curry and the Golden State Warriors had a special season last year and, despite falling short of the ultimate prize, the Warriors are once again favorites to win the NBA championship. The Warriors acquired NBA superstar Kevin Durant this off season, adding yet another star to the star-studded team.

If Curry were to win the coveted NBA MVP award next season he would become only the fourth player in NBA history to win three consecutively. Curry would join the likes of Bill Russell (1960-1963), Wilt Chamberlain (1965-1968), and Larry Bird (1983-1986).

The question of whether Curry should be the favorite to win the MVP award is further complicated because of the number of great players on the Warriors. Among other early “favorites” to win the coveted award are Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and Curry’s new teammate Kevin Durant.

Westbrook finds himself as the only “star” on the Thunder this year without Durant and his incredible scoring ability could find him competing for his first MVP award. James already has four of these awards and after watching him tear through Golden State in the last few games of the finals last season one could easily imagine him taking his fifth MVP award at the end of next year.

Last, but certainly not least, is Kevin Durant who already has an MVP under his belt, but will find himself apart of a team full of stars (including Stephen Curry) this year as he also will be looking for his first NBA Championship this upcoming season.

Next: From Kwame to KD: How did we get here?

Only time will tell if Curry will get his third MVP after this season, but one thing is for sure I am not betting against him. Curry has time and time again put his incredible skills on display for all the NBA to see and doubting him would be plain foolish.

Personally, if I had to bet on anyone, I would bet on two time MVP Stephen Curry to take home his third straight when it is all said and done.