“Steph gonna Steph”
This is the phrase uttered and yelled whenever Stephen Curry does something amazing.
If the Golden State Warriors re-sign Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in free agency, Curry and the Warriors will be without the services of both. Durant is out for the year with a ruptured Achillies and Thompson will be out until February at the earliest with torn ACL.
Given those circumstances, “Steph gonna Steph” is now “Steph’s gotta Steph” for the Warriors to win games next season
And the Caesar’s Palace sports book is hear for it.
Due to the absences of Durant and Thompson, Curry has the fourth-best odds to with his third MVP in 2019-20. With + 600 odds, Curry trails Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (+300), Houston’s James Harden (+350), and Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard (+600).
Curry is expected to put up numbers close to or exceeding his 30.5 points per game average in the NBA Finals this season in the face of opposing defenses selling out to stop him now more than ever. Not to mention, Curry’s minutes per game and usage rate will also increase.
Even with a healthy Durant and Thompson, Curry still averaged 27.3 points per game during 2018-19-where he missed 11 games due to a groin injury. Curry’s ppg last season was good for the second-highest total in his career, and four points higher (23.7) than his first MVP campaign in the 2014-2015 season.
In order for Curry to become the ninth player in league history to be voted MVP at least three times, he would need more than just production and impact. He would also need record and narrative. Typically, the best player on the best team walks away with the trophy but there have been a few exceptions. Three seasons ago, Russell Westbrook won MVP as he led the Thunder to the fourth best record in the West while averaging a triple double.
The Warriors, without Thompson and Durant aren’t expected to have the best record, but if Curry can, for example lead this team to at least a fifth seed next season, he’d have the narrative and a stronger case.
What do you guys think? How can Curry defy the odds and win next season’s MVP? How many games does the Warriors win for him to have a better shot?