It took maybe half the season before it became painfully obvious that we’d reached a point of no return with Stephen Curry’s MVP candidacy. At some vague time around February, save for a freak injury and a Westbrookian run of triple-doubles, there was nothing Curry could do to diminish his shot at winning his second consecutive MVP award.
It was always going to be his.
He won MVP last year. He increased his production by 6.0 points, shot more efficiently from the field and simultaneously conducted possibly the best team in history. Yeah, his case is pretty rock solid.
Where it gets interesting is at No. 2, where LeBron James’ late surge helped give him the edge in USA TODAY Sports’ final MVP poll. Over his last 10 games, James averaged 28.4 points on 63 percent shooting, 8.5 assists and 8 rebounds as the Cavs went 8-2. Playoff mode, indeed.
He finally created some separation from Kawhi Leonard, who had been flirting with the No. 2 spot for weeks. Leonard, although a standout in the Spurs’ system, hardly seizes a game like Curry or James does. It’s also obviously harder to quantify his substantial impact on the defensive end.
That Russell Westbrook wasn’t even in the top three speaks to the absurdity of this year’s candidates. He recorded his 18th triple-double – tying Magic Johnson for the most in a single season over the last 50 years – and it took him a mere 18 minutes. One and a half quarters. That’s it. What’s more, the Oklahoma City Thunder were 18-0 in games he’s had a triple-double.
Kevin Durant no doubt distracted voters, but putting the MVP discussion aside for a moment, can you imagine a better free agency pitch than offering the chance to play alongside Westbrook for another season? Maybe neither wins MVP if he decides to return, but it also guarantees both the chance to compete for a title next season. At this point, still trying to cement his legacy, it’s likely Durant cares more about titles than MVP awards. Unfortunately for him, it’s Curry that seems to have found the formula for them both.
