8. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Season stats: 29.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.4 bpg, 49% fg, 45% 3 pt, 92% ft
Team record: 29-14 (2nd in West)
When someone is averaging 28/7/6 on the second best team in the West, you’d expect them to be the top MVP candidate on said team. But, unfortunately for Kevin Durant, Steph Curry has managed to outshine him when he’s been healthy this year.
Curry has really sunk back into his MVP form from a few years ago – the first time really since KD got to town – and, if it wasn’t for the time he missed, he may very well still be at the top of this list.
While he has cooled off, somewhat, since his torrid start to the season, Steph is showing no signs of slowing down in terms of how valuable he is to Golden State’s success. In fact, a couple nights ago, against the Mavs, Steph Curry put on a virtuoso performance, pouring in 48 points while connecting on 11/19 3-pointers.
For Curry to overcome the odds again and win his third MVP award, he’s going to have to do a few things:
- Stay healthy
- Help the Warriors claim the best record in the NBA
- Remain at MVP form and continue to show that he is the most valuable Warrior