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NBA Awards Watch: Full Midseason Awards

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 5, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is defended by Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is defended by Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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January 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates against the Miami Heat during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry

Honorable Mentions: Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James

The Golden State Warriors’ 1-2 stretch over their last three games may have opened the door of discussion for whether the Dubs or the Spurs are the best team in the NBA so far, but let’s not overcomplicate things: Stephen Curry would be a two-time MVP if the season ended today.

Averaging 29.9 points, 6.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, Curry is the complete package. He’s vastly improved on the defensive end of the floor, he’s on pace to shatter the NBA’s regular season record for most made three-pointers (his own record, which he set last season) and he would join the 50-40-90 club if the season ended today with .507/.447/.903 shooting splits.

There are plenty of deserving candidates this year. Kawhi Leonard shouldn’t be overlooked as the best two-way player in the league who is also the best player on the NBA’s second best team. Kevin Durant has quietly gone back to being elite, while Russell Westbrook is having the most efficient season of his career that no one is noticing. And of course, you can never exclude LeBron James from this conversation.

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But Curry still leads the league in scoring, PER (31.7, on pace to be the best in NBA history), true shooting percentage, win shares, and made three-pointers (61 more than Klay Thompson, who has the second most in the league). The Warriors may be facing their first rough patch of the season, but Stephen Curry is hands down the MVP halfway through the 2015-16 campaign.