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One of the biggest positives heading into the 2021-22 season for the Golden State Warriors is the fact that Stephen Curry can still perform at an NBA MVP caliber level.
The 33-year-old had one of the best campaigns of his career last season and one of the best scoring months in NBA history. After averaging 32 points per game, he pipped Bradley Beal to lead the league in scoring and carried the Warriors to eighth seed in the West.
However, the Golden State Warriors were unable to make it into the playoffs via the play-in tournament, which ultimately dented Stephen Curry's hopes of a third NBA MVP trophy. Now, though, with a strengthened roster and a longer offseason, the Golden State Warriors look ready to challenge for a berth in a stacked Western Conference.
In this article, we will look at how Stephen Curry can be involved in the NBA MVP conversations once again and why he could win.
How Stephen Curry can win the 2022 NBA MVP award
Stephen Curry is currently among the top-five favorites for the 2022 NBA MVP trophy, but is not the odds-on choice. According to some bookies, his odds are around +900, with Luka Doncic the runaway pick at +450.
However, this is not the first time Curry or the Golden State Warriors have been written off and just when you think you have seen everything from the enigmatic point guard, he does something else spectacular. Therefore, it would be unsurprising to see him take away a third NBA MVP award and here is why he can do it.
#1 Golden State Warriors return to the playoffs
Despite his scoring run toward the end of the 2020-21 campaign, Stephen Curry was unable to carry the Golden State Warriors past the LA Lakers in their play-in tournament matchup. Ironically, it was LeBron James who hit a miraculous three late in the game to send the Warriors into a must-win matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, which they lost in overtime.
Failing to make the playoffs inevitably hurt Curry's chances of winning a third NBA MVP trophy. Had they prevailed, it would have been far harder to overlook his candidacy given the squad he had around him compared to that of Nikola Jokic's or Joel Embiid.
If Stephen Curry wants to further cement his status as one of the greatest players of all time, he will need to lead the Golden State Warriors into the postseason. With his peak years fading, he and the Dubs are in win-now mode and his shooting has shown no signs of letting up.
Curry averaged a career-best 32 points last season, grabbed 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He continued to shoot above 40% from downtown (42.1) on a staggering 12.7 attempts per game and made 91.6% of free-throws.
His scoring is truly daunting for any opposition defense in the league. During the month of April, Stephen Curry was untouchable and made an NBA-record of 96 threes in a calendar month. In the process, he led the Golden State Warriors to wins over superior opposition such as the Philadelphia 76ers (against whom he scored 49 points), the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets twice.
If he is able to repeat these feats, there is little doubt he will be in the conversation for NBA MVP, but the Warriors have to make the postseason for him to truly be a favorite.
#2 Return of Klay Thompson
A healthy roster and the additions of Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica should improve the Golden State Warriors. However, the most important change to their lineup will be Klay Thompson's return.
While having his splash bro. back may take away from the kind of crazy numbers Stephen Curry was putting up last season, it will inevitably make the Warriors better. Curry was able to carry the Dubs to 39 wins this year and the eighth seed in the West. However, with more scoring options in the roster and the NBA returning to a full slate of 82 games, they should be looking at winning around 50 matchups.
More often than not, the NBA MVP award is handed out to a player on one of the best teams in the league - if not the best. Therefore, Thompson's return, as well as the Golden State Warriors' additions, will help strengthen Stephen Curry's case.
#3 Has another record-breaking season
Although Stephen Curry broke his own career-record for points scored in a season and could well do the same again this campaign, he will be after yet more NBA and Golden State Warriors records.
This season, Curry could break the All-Time threes record (he is only 141 behind the retired Ray Allen). He could also join just two others in league history to have multiple seasons with a 50-40-90 shooting split (Steve Nash and Larry Bird). In his first NBA MVP campaign, which he won unanimously, Curry had a 50-45-90 split, therefore, it would certainly boost his hopes of winning the individual award again.
Curry has become famous mostly from his scoring but his defensive attributes are often overlooked. He has averaged 1.7 steals per game throughout his career and could break the Warriors' record for most steals ever.
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