Golden State Warriors: Here’s why Stephen Curry will win 2019-20 MVP
By James Siegle
The Golden State Warriors underwent dramatic changes this offseason, which may allow Stephen Curry to run away with the NBA’s 2019-20 MVP award.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is marooned after circumstances snatched away his supporting cast. Kevin Durant is now a Brooklyn Net and Klay Thompson expects to be sidelined most of this season with a torn ACL.
Now that several Western Conference squads boast dynamic duos, the Warriors are no longer favored in the West, an unfamiliar position to say the least.
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Although Curry will miss his supporting cast, don’t underestimate the opportunity he has. Before Durant joined the squad in 2016, Steph won back-to-back MVP awards, including a stellar 2015-16 season where he averaged 30.1 points per game.
Now he’ll have a wonderful chance to re-establish himself as a leading candidate for the award.
Curry graciously shared the ball and built stellar chemistry for three years, but now the Dubs need him in a different mode. Look for Curry to score, score, score … and put up video-game-esque numbers as a result.
In 2015-16, Curry’s mad buckets, combined with 6.7 assists per game, rendered him one of the league’s best playmakers. Even with this high volume, he knocked down 50.4 percent from the field and 45.4 percent from deep.
He’ll have a perpetual green light in 2019-20, even from weird angles or way-deep. Seeing that he’s never shot under 45 percent from the field, or less than 41 percent from 3-point range, he’ll almost certainly post monster stats.
With this in mind, what can be expected for 2019-20? Let’s examine Steph’s scoring without Durant and Thompson last season.
Curry’s scoring without Durant:
- 33 points against Oklahoma City Thunder March 16
- 33 points against Orlando Magic Feb. 28
- 24 points against Houston Rockets March 13
- Load management – played 9 minutes against New Orleans Pelicans April 9
Excluding the game in which he rested for the vast majority, Curry averaged 30 points per contest without Durant, closely resembling his stellar 2015-16 season. Now let’s look at his scoring with Thompson out.
Curry’s scoring without Thompson:
- 41 points against Philadelphia 76ers Jan. 31
- 28 points against Philadelphia 76ers March 2
- 23 points against Boston Celtics March 5
- Load management – played 9 minutes against New Orleans Pelicans April 9
Again, excluding the rest game, Curry averaged 30.7 points per game without Thompson. Clearly he hasn’t lost a beat since 2015-16, rather he’s sacrificed to keep teammates happy. Look for his offense to benefit greatly with Durant gone and Thompson sidelined.
Of course, the Warriors will drop in the standings this season. Only extreme analysts believe the Dubs are better without Durant, as his departure sets them back talent-wise. Meanwhile, Thompson will be missed on both ends of the court.
Curry would probably prefer teammate support to individual success, but why not make the best of things while lifting Golden State to the postseason?
Thompson will likely return and join Curry and Draymond Green once the playoffs begin. The trio won the 2015 title without KD, and they’ll certainly be competitive down the stretch.
There’s hope for the postseason, but first they must get there. This is where Curry comes to life, utilizing what should be monster numbers to propel Golden State into decent playoff position.
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Because of this, he has a strong chance at MVP, and should be considered a favorite heading into 2019-20.