Golden State Warriors: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Storyline 2: KD’s MVP bid

Something shifted last season: While Golden State was still the league’s best team, its individual players started to lose credit for being the league’s best players.

Curry did have a down year by his standards, but Durant certainly did not, posting career-bests in field goal percentage, rebounds, blocks and turnovers. Yet his name was absent from MVP discussions, even before his post All-Star break injury should have taken him out of the race.

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No Warriors player should complain about the lack of individual credit they receive, nor should their fans. That is the trade-off for monolithic dominance. That doesn’t mean that, in equal parts greed and fairness, the Durant MVP chase is irrelevant.

What does he need to do to get the award? For one, the Warriors need to win at least 67 games. For a team that won an average of 70 in the two years before he joined them (and then won 14 straight after his injury last season), that is the standard.

If that happens, Durant will need to maintain last season’s statistical dominance, if not improve upon it. He’ll also need to stay on the court.

If all of these things happen, he should be the MVP co-favorite along with Kawhi Leonard. Westbrook and Harden will sacrifice usage and therefore production. LeBron James will again go 75 percent through 82 games. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl-Anthony Towns are still a year or two away.

Curry may play well enough to get a third MVP, but Durant is considered by most in the national media to be the team’s best player now. He has a real chance.