Golden State Warriors: Can Stephen Curry still win MVP?
By Tony Pesta
The MVP race is as close as it has been in recent years but Stephen Curry has slipped behind the pack as the Golden State Warriors hit some speedbumps in recent weeks. Can the two-time MVP make a comeback in the second half of the season?
Stephen Curry has fallen behind in the MVP race but can he catch up in the second half of the season with the Golden State Warriors?
There is a log jam at the front of the race. A genuine argument can be made for everybody from last year’s winner, Nikola Jokic, to a surprise candidate in DeMar DeRozan. Other stars such as Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokonmpo, Devin Booker (or Chris Paul) are all jockeying for positions.
Steph finds himself somewhere in the middle of this group. He’s listed at No. 5 on the NBA’s MVP race and has been in the mix all year long — only holding a lead briefly at the start of the season.
Since then, Curry has had the worst shooting stretch of his career and the Dubs have forfeited position in the league standings as Phoenix builds a 6.5 game lead over Golden State.
With so many players building strong cases for the award, Curry will have to deliver a special string of performances to jump ahead of the group once again. Fortunately, this could be in the works as one can assume the Dubs will ramp up into the playoffs by gaining momentum at just the right time.
Draymond Green’s eventual return will help Curry generate more open looks while Klay Thompson is already back in the lineup and taking key steps towards hitting his stride.
Curry is currently 10th in the NBA for scoring at 25.8 points per game. He ranks first in 3-pointers made by a wide margin, with 50 more 3-pointers made than the next closest (Fred VanVleet).
There is certainly an opportunity for Curry to explode and thrust himself into the race again. Having CP3 and Booker split votes at the top of the standings will serve as an advantage for Curry, as well.
However, we are well aware at this point that Curry and the Dubs are focused on bigger things. The Finals MVP is the award Curry is truly interested in capturing.