There may not be a player more important to his team’s success than Stephen Curry. Yet, the Golden State Warriors‘ superstar isn’t mentioned in most NBA MVP Rankings. Why is that?
Curry ranks 10th in HoopsHabit’s race and fifth in the NBA’s official weekly ladder. The most prominent players ahead of him are names such as LeBron James, Paul George and Luka Doncic. And, it’s difficult to build a case over some of those guys.
James and George have both pushed their LA teams to the top of the league standings. George is averaging an incredible 24.4 points on splits of 51/50/90 whereas James is showing all-around dominance that is unprecedented at his age. Both of their teams are on another level and they are the main reason for their success.
Stephen Curry is the most important player on the Golden State Warriors and has a case to be the league’s MVP this season.
However, let’s look at their head-to-head matchups with Curry. Firstly, the Clippers blew a late 20-point lead to fall at the hands of Curry. He scored 38 points, including the dagger over George to seal the victory.
A similar story happened against the Lakers when the Dubs overcame another massive deficit to win a close game. Curry finished with 26 points and another backbreaking 3-pointer to finish it off. James scored only 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting in this one.
Curry has led the Warriors to an 8-6 record and the fifth seed in the West. The team is just 1-4 when Curry scores less than 25 points, emphasizing how vital he is each night. Golden State has a Net Rating of negative 2.9 when Curry is off the floor – and an Offensive Rating of just 103.7 without him (+4 when he’s on the court).
Unfortunately, these stats don’t benefit Curry’s case as much as you would think. For example, George and James both increase their team’s Net Rating and Offensive Rating by 10 when they are on the court.
Still, it’s important to mention that without Curry, the Warriors were the worst team in the NBA last season. It’s safe to say the Lakers and Clippers would still be playoff teams if George or James missed a chunk of games. The same can’t be said for the Dubs in Curry’s absence.
It might not be the best argument, but this definition of ‘most valuable’ is one that James’ fanbase has used for years. How can anyone be more valuable than Curry if his team solely depends on him to make the playoffs?
Regardless, I think it’s fair to place Curry outside of the race, for now. The Warriors are just beginning to hit their stride and I’d predict he forces his name into the conversation sooner or later.