Stephen Curry returns to MVP form
Stephen Curry, after a slow start early in the season, has returned to his unanimous MVP form from last year in which he was dominating the league.
Many, including Golden State Warriors fans, were ready to write off Stephen Curry. They argued that his run at the top of the league was over. He got lightning in a bottle twice, but that was history.
At the extreme end, folks called it a fluke. He won his first MVP then followed it up with one of the most incredible seasons we’ve ever seen. He was named the league’s first unanimous MVP and doubters were outraged.
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Curry sustained an MCL injury in the opening round of last year’s playoffs and it was clear that it was taking a toll on him, even as the Dubs were winning. Ultimately, the stress of going up against elite point guards was too much stress and he slowed down. Ultimately, it proved to be too much to overcome and he faltered when his team needed him the most.
People who were looking to discredit him used a small, injury-riddled sample to come to a conclusion about him. He was overrated, trash, and whatever else Twitter wanted to call him. He needed to prove everyone wrong again.
The Warriors went out and signed Kevin Durant, adding another alpha male to a team that already had a top dog. On paper, they were unstoppable. But they had to figure out how to make it work.
Curry did this in the only way he knew how: sacrifice. He deferred to Durant and his new teammate flourished. Curry got lost behind the dazzling displays his fellow MVP would put on. The shot wasn’t falling and the magic was gone.
He had a good game every now and then and then January happened. Curry returned to form, slowly, but surely. He was putting up the type of numbers we expected out of him. He averaged 27.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game. He shot over 43 percent from three and was dominant.
Curry has been putting up solid numbers all season long, even when he was struggling. But now, he’s taking control. He’s playing like he did when he was named the league’s first unanimous MVP. He’s splashing heat checks and having fun. When he shoots, you know that it’s going in.
He’s back to being Steph. The Steph that won 73 games and unanimously won his second Most Valuable Player award. The Steph that broke the game of basketball. The Steph that became a cheat code.
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Stephen Curry was overlooked when LeBron James won Finals MVP. He got lost when the Warriors signed Kevin Durant. He was discredited when Russell Westbrook put up his triple-doubles.
Make no mistake: he’s back and he’s out for blood. He’s still the best in the league and he knows it, once again.