Stephen Curry, The Forgotten MVP
On most other teams, in most other seasons, Stephen Curry would not be just an afterthought. On this Golden State Warriors team, however, Steph has made one of the most remarkable role changes in NBA history look easy.
What’s wrong with Steph Curry?
That concern has been raised quite a bit in the first few months of the 2016–17 season. When discussing the NBA’s defending two-time MVP, it’s likely the most common refrain you’ll hear across the basketball world. Granted, his production is down from last season, but he had arguably the most spectacular offensive season in NBA history last year. Regression was expected.
A year ago he set the NBA record for three-pointers both attempted with 886 and made with 402, scored 30.1 points per game, hit 50.4 percent from the floor and 45.4 percent from three-point range. His historic incendiary attack produced an NBA-best true shooting percentage of 66.9 percent, taking down the best mark in a category typically reserved for big men who operate close to the basket.
While there will always be an argument to be made that the Golden State Warriors are at their best when they let Steph be Steph, the Dubs were aware that there was another level they could get to this season after coming up short against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals in June. 73 wins and back-to-back Finals appearances with one title isn’t enough, and in 2016–17 the Warriors are the only team that can say anything less than a title (and a title won convincingly for that matter) is a failure.
While last season’s returning Warriors squad would probably be enough to climb back on top of that precipice and still be a heavy title favorite, they shot their shot and got Kevin Durant to come to the Bay. It wasn’t just money that was needed to bring Durant’s service to Oakland, it was the alpha role. A role that Steph Curry worked to earn after being designated a disappointment early in his career and reached the heights of being regarded as one of the best and most dynamic scorers the game has ever seen.
Never before in NBA history has a two-time defending MVP with a likely shot to go for three (appropriately enough) such awards and lead an all-time great team to three straight NBA Finals willingly brought on board another fellow alpha, but Curry did it. A lesser man would have declined the opportunity to play Robin to Durant’s Batman, knowing that a Curry-led Warriors team is good for around 70 wins and a near-certain Finals berth.
Instead, Curry welcomed Durant to his locker room and even while sorting through some growing pains, the Warriors have decimated the league in ways never before seen (again). They have the best offensive rating in the NBA by a 1.8 point margin over the second place Toronto Raptors, they have the best defensive rating with a 0.6 point margin over the second place Utah Jazz, and they have the best net rating by a staggering 3.7 points over the 37–11 San Antonio Spurs.
While Durant has been the missing link without a doubt, Steph Curry has quietly been the most important Warrior once again. Thanks to his ability to hit any shot from 40' in, defenses must make compromises in the halfcourt to keep him from easily getting to his spots (and good luck with that, because those spots are everywhere).
Because his very presence warps and bends defenses in ways never seen before on an NBA court, the Warriors play out of their minds when he’s on the floor. With Curry off the floor, they have a respectable +3.0 net rating. When Curry is on the floor, however, the Warriors have a +16.8 net rating, yielding an on/off split of 13.8 points per 100 possessions. Considering the fact that the Warriors have three of the best 10 and four of the best 20 players in the NBA, it’s remarkable that any one player can produce such a monstrous swing in production.
While Durant is certainly the missing piece, his output is also at its best when he shares the floor with Curry. When Durant plays without Curry, the Warriors outscore their opponents by just 1.1 points per 100 possessions. When Curry plays sans Durant, the Warriors outscore their opponents by 9.8 points. However, when the duo play together, the Warriors outscore their opponents by a remarkable 21.1 points per 100 possessions.
Among the reasons that the Warriors have reclaimed their high-flying aerial assault is the fact that Curry has quietly been near his transcendent self for much of the season. His production from a counting stats perspective has been hampered by the presence of Durant eating up possessions and points at an incredibly efficient rate himself, but the Warriors are scoring 0.7 points per 100 possessions more this season than last season when he’s on the floor.
Steph Curry has once again proven himself to be the most valuable player on this team in more ways than one. His ability to set ego aside and share claim to the team he’s been with since the dark days of Keith Smart coaching on the sideline has elevated the Warriors to heights barely imaginable just a few years ago. Nobody could have blamed the two-time defending MVP for putting his foot down and brushing off the usurper, but his welcoming of Durant was the final and missing piece of the puzzle for the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors are better than ever, and better than anybody has ever been at this game. They have Stephen Curry to thank for that in more ways than one.
