Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry being in the MVP conversation is expected. He’s the best player making the biggest impact on the NBA’s best team.
Curry being the frontrunner in the Most Improved Player Award race? That might sound a little weird, but he absolutely should be in the conversation for this honor.
Consider this: Curry won the MVP last season after leading the Warriors to the best record in the league. Believe it or not, he’s played even better this campaign. Here’s a look at how much he’s improved in notable stats:
Curry is averaging six more points per game despite playing just 1.1 minutes more per game compared to last season. One of the primary reasons for this increase is that his effective shooting percentage (which factors in the additional benefit of a 3-point field goal) has gone up from 59.6 last season to 63.5 this season.
This feat is even more impressive when you consider he’s leading the league in scoring despite sitting on the bench in a lot of fourth quarters because the Warriors have been destroying teams on a regular basis. He has the lowest minutes per game of any player ranked in the top 10 in scoring.
Curry is on pace to become the eighth player in league history to join the 50-40-90 club. The last player to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 90 percent from the free-throw line was Kevin Durant in 2012-13. Steve Nash (four times), Dirk Nowitzki and Durant are the only players to do it in the last 20 years.
Curry also is on pace to shatter his single-season record for 3-point fields goals made. He’s just 54 behind with about half the season left to play, and he hits five of them per game.
via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images
The point is Curry has improved from a great player last season to a historic player leading the Warriors on a historic run this campaign. He needs 98 points in the next three games to join Michael Jordan as the second player with at least 1,500 points, 300 assists and 100 steals before All-Star Weekend, per ESPN Stats and Info. His Warriors might also break the NBA record of 72 regular-season wins Jordan’s Chicago Bulls set in 1995-96.
Curry isn’t the traditional candidate — one who elevates from a role player to a star — for this award. He will have plenty of competition for it, too, probably from the likes of Andre Drummond, C.J. McCollum, Reggie Jackson and maybe even Zaza Pachulia.
Curry might not win MIP, but he must be considered given the season he’s having.
Thumbnail photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
