The Golden State Warriors are overachieving compared to preseason expectations so far thanks to Stephen Curry. NBA fans are enjoying seeing Curry thriving again with his Warriors team stepping up for victories. However, the individual play of Curry is opening discussions about whether or not he can be a viable MVP candidate again. The annual MVP tracker from Basketball Reference uses various stats to forecast the best MVP candidates.
Curry has moved into the top five for a realistic shot at contending for the award. Current MVP leaders, according to the Basketball Reference tracker:
- Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
- Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets)
- Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Curry (Warriors)
All five players listed have had dream starts to the season with both excellent statistical performances and team results. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one name snubbed from the top five who still has a strong chance to win his third consecutive MVP Award. Injuries to his top teammates can create a narrative that Shai deserves the award most if the Thunder can win enough games.
Wembanyama and Doncic are the current favorites on most betting odd sites for their incredible performances. Nikola Jokic has fallen back in the early projections due to his slower start and inconsistent team results. Curry has already passed a few noteworthy names in the early rankings.
Realistic Path For Stephen Curry As MVP
The MVP tracker makes it viable to dream, but Curry remains a long shot for many reasons. Golden State will shock the NBA world if they finish in the top four seeds, which is usually needed to win MVP. Jimmy Butler missing more time will limit the team’s ability to win a high number of games.
Rookie Yaxel Lendeborg has given the Warriors more faith with his tremendous start to his NBA career. However, the rest of the Warriors roster leaves a lot to be desired and would require Curry to play like he did in the 2016 to take home a third MVP Award.
The Spurs, Lakers, and other teams with true MVP candidates have easier paths towards title contention. Golden State is currently overachieving and relying on a lot of untrustworthy role players until Butler and Moses Moody are back in the lineup.
Stephen Curry’s Stat Still Deserves Respect
Regardless of whether Curry remains in the MVP race all year or not, it is impressive that a star of his age can still dominate. Curry is currently averaging 30 points per game for the Warriors in just 29 minutes a night.
Health and team success are the only things that can be argued against Curry, along with the other players being younger. Golden State has dealt with players like Butler, Moody, and Kristaps Porzingis missing time as all important pieces of the roster.
Curry would likely prefer to get the team healthy, so they don’t fully rely on him than to continue dominating to stay in the MVP race. Warriors’ fans should be cautiously optimistic about the hot start and Curry looking like he has more left in the tank.
Stephen Curry Gets Great Sign For MVP Contention