3 reasons why Stephen Curry could win the 2022 NBA MVP Award
One of the biggest positives heading into the 2021-22 season for the Golden State Warriors is the fact that Stephen Curry can still perform at an NBA MVP caliber level.
The 33-year-old had one of the best campaigns of his career last season and one of the best scoring months in NBA history. After averaging 32 points per game, he pipped Bradley Beal to lead the league in scoring and carried the Warriors to eighth seed in the West.
However, the Golden State Warriors were unable to make it into the playoffs via the play-in tournament, which ultimately dented Stephen Curry's hopes of a third NBA MVP trophy. Now, though, with a strengthened roster and a longer offseason, the Golden State Warriors look ready to challenge for a berth in a stacked Western Conference.
In this article, we will look at how Stephen Curry can be involved in the NBA MVP conversations once again and why he could win.
How Stephen Curry can win the 2022 NBA MVP award
Stephen Curry is currently among the top-five favorites for the 2022 NBA MVP trophy, but is not the odds-on choice. According to some bookies, his odds are around +900, with Luka Doncic the runaway pick at +450.
However, this is not the first time Curry or the Golden State Warriors have been written off and just when you think you have seen everything from the enigmatic point guard, he does something else spectacular. Therefore, it would be unsurprising to see him take away a third NBA MVP award and here is why he can do it.
#1 Golden State Warriors return to the playoffs
Despite his scoring run toward the end of the 2020-21 campaign, Stephen Curry was unable to carry the Golden State Warriors past the LA Lakers in their play-in tournament matchup. Ironically, it was LeBron James who hit a miraculous three late in the game to send the Warriors into a must-win matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, which they lost in overtime.
Failing to make the playoffs inevitably hurt Curry's chances of winning a third NBA MVP trophy. Had they prevailed, it would have been far harder to overlook his candidacy given the squad he had around him compared to that of Nikola Jokic's or Joel Embiid.
If Stephen Curry wants to further cement his status as one of the greatest players of all time, he will need to lead the Golden State Warriors into the postseason. With his peak years fading, he and the Dubs are in win-now mode and his shooting has shown no signs of letting up.
Curry averaged a career-best 32 points last season, grabbed 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He continued to shoot above 40% from downtown (42.1) on a staggering 12.7 attempts per game and made 91.6% of free-throws.
His scoring is truly daunting for any opposition defense in the league. During the month of April, Stephen Curry was untouchable and made an NBA-record of 96 threes in a calendar month. In the process, he led the Golden State Warriors to wins over superior opposition such as the Philadelphia 76ers (against whom he scored 49 points), the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets twice.
If he is able to repeat these feats, there is little doubt he will be in the conversation for NBA MVP, but the Warriors have to make the postseason for him to truly be a favorite.