Steph Ranked Fourth in Latest MVP Ranking
Basketball reference released their updated MVP rankings after the first six games and Warriors fan see a familiar name in the top five. Steph Curry is ranked fourth just behind last year’s MVP recipient Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, and Jimmy Butler.
With the Warriors off to a blistering 5-1 start and tied for first in the Western Conference standings, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Curry has jumped out ahead of the competition and is on the path of claiming his third MVP title.
While some would note of Curry’s usual habits, such as having a slow start to the season and usually picking up pace near the All-Star break, the numbers that the Davidson product is putting up are absolutely ridiculous.
Through the first six games, Curry has averaged 28.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists on 41.2% from the field and 39.2% from three.
Yes, that’s right. Curry is still averaging a near 40% from three even with the scoreless fourth quarters. The volume and audacity of threes that Curry has been launching have not changed either, which makes this stat even more impressive.
He’s also leading the league in total points as well with 2015 total points and his previously mentioned 28.7 points per game leads the league as well.
One of the six games include a 45-point explosion versus the Clippers where Curry highlighted his marksmanship with a 25-point first quarter and going perfect from the field. The 25-point quarter marks the highest individual scoring quarter in the early NBA season.
Steph torched the Clippers with an array of drives, long-distance bombs and clutch playmaking and proved that he was the most valuable player for the Warriors that night.
One of Curry’s ridiculous threes came in the form of a shot that came from near half-court, which put the Warriors ahead in a tightly contested game. Curry was able to put the game away with a fading transition three that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
It’s games like these that demonstrate Curry’s mastery of the game and proves why he should always be in the conversation when it comes to the most valuable player award.
For the Warriors, Curry has been the most valuable player easily for the past two seasons. Last year, with an injured Klay Thompson and am inconsistent rookie James Wiseman, Curry had to shoulder the burden of the scoring duties with the limited bench production as well.
This led to Curry capturing the scoring title, his first since 2016, and showing everyone that he’s still got it.
Arguably, the most impressive takeaway from Curry’s hot start is how it reflects in the team’s overall performance. The Warriors have added to the bench depth and with the surfacing of Jordan Poole hoped to alleviate some of the scoring burden from Steph.
The fact that Curry is still managing to average these ridiculous numbers shows spectators that the Warriors are going to be a dangerous team in the West.
While Curry normally heats up after the all-star break, his numbers have reflected an easy and steady pace of production that fans are accustomed to.
In addition to the updated MVP rankings, ESPN has released their power rankings and the Warriors have cracked the top three, only behind the Utah Jazz and the Miami Heat, who are both at the top of their conference.
The Warriors have shown that they’ve become a dangerous team this season and with their captain Steph Curry leading the way, the sky’s the limit for this year’s squad.
(Photo credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images)