Warriors’ Stephen Curry has been on a tear in recent games, as the league looks to wrap up its’ final four weeks of regular season play. 

The injury-riddled Golden State Warriors have found it difficult to produce quality wins all season with a current record of 28-29, sitting at 9th seed in the Western Conference, just outside of playoff contention. Steph Curry has led the team to wins in 4 of their last 5 games, averaging a remarkable 42.6 points, 5 assists, and 6.2 rebounds while shooting over 50% from the field and beyond 40% from three-point range during that stretch.

As Curry continues to heat up, we must start asking ourselves if it’s about time to include him in serious MVP discussions. 

A look at the numbers

Steph Curry’s season averages rest at 31 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.6 rebounds through 57 games (49 played). He’s just shy of recording 50, 40, 90 splits for the regular season, and has racked up a few career milestones in the duration.

In the past few months, Curry earned his second career 3-Point Contest win and became Golden State’s all-time leader in points and assists, and second in all-time Franchise 3-Pointers.

Klay Thompson’s pre-season injury ruled him out for the 2020-21 season, and their preferred starting lineup has only played in 11 games as a unit. Due to lack of depth, Steph has become the number one option indefinitely and currently ranks 1st at 3 PM, 2nd in PPG, 5th inefficiency, and Top 10 in Usage %, FGM, and Fast Break Points.

His assist and rebound categories have taken a bit of a hit due to his increased role as a scorer in the Warriors’ offense this season. 

The MVP Ladder 

Throughout most of the season, MVP odds have been heavily favored by the likes of Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Philidelphia big man Joel Embiid, and Dallas point forward, Luka Doncic. Other notable names that have continued to add to their MVP resume include Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, and LeBron James.

Trailblazers’ Damian Lillard recently made a push for MVP and currently sits at #5 on the KIA MVP Ladder. 

NBA MVP Awards are loosely based on long-term health, the team record, and standing, as well as individual accolades. Giannis who currently sits at #4, and Jokic at #1, check off all boxes. The rest of the potential candidates have struggled in one or more categories. The same can be said for Stephen Curry as the Warriors sit just below .500% as the season begins to wrap up.

Though comparing the numbers, Stephs’ Usage percentage, FGM, and TSP all rank higher than all MVP candidates except Jokic and Giannis. He is .1 PPG away from tying Bradley Beal for the league scoring title. 

Stephen Curry won consecutive MVP awards in 2015 and 2016. He was the first and only player to win by a unanimous vote (’16). From 2015-2019, the Warrior basketball team led by Curry advanced to 5 consecutive Finals, winning 3 of them. After the departure of top talent, Kevin Durant during the 2019-20 offseason, injuries bruised the former powerhouse with season-ending injuries to Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.

The Warriors finished last in the NBA standings.

What we can expect

Injuries have sidelined most of the leagues’ talent from what could have been a fierce competition for league MVP. Ill-fated seasons and the Coronavirus Pandemic made it easy to forget about and accept what the Warriors basketball team had become.

With 2.5 games back for 8th seed in the West, it is likely that Stephen Curry’s streak of stellar performances will continue to thrill spectators across the NBA, simultaneously boosting his case for league MVP. He currently sits at #9 on the KIA MVP Ladder and seems eager to remind the world of his presence as one of the best this league has to offer. 

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will face Joel Embiid and the Philidelphia 76ers next, on April 19th at 7:30 pm. The game can be watched on ESPN. Curry will look to defend his case for MVP while also climbing to #1 in the NBA in scoring.

Embiid and the Sixers will seek to defend their title as #1 in the Eastern Conference.