Stephen Curry in the Oracle Arena. (Photo : Reuters.com)
The latest reports claim that Steph Curry is now the recipient of the Most Valuable Player Award for the 2015-16 season.
This will be his second consecutive MVP award and not only will this validate his "unexpected" award last year, but also proves that he, and his team for that matter, are not a fluke.
In a revealing piece on ESPN, Ethan Strauss noted how the diminutive Curry whose game relies heavily on the three-point shot was an "aberration" or a "novelty" and virtually a fluke.
Strauss noted how Stephen Curry finished just fifth on the MVP predictions prior to the start of this season. "That's probably why Curry finished fifth in MVP projections, tied with Russell Westbrook, in the NBA's preseason GM poll. It was the weakest projection for anyone coming off an MVP season in the history of that poll. In ESPN.com's own NBA Forecast, Curry also finished fifth, behind James, Davis, James Harden and Kevin Durant."
The league belonged to the tall, quick and athletic. Curry is quick but way behind most of the league in the other two categories. He did not fit the prototype even though he had an MVP award and Championship ring. Instead, the media anointed Anthony Davis, a freak of nature who had height and skill.
Teammate Draymond Green accepted what seemed to be a disrespectful snob aimed at his teammat in stride. "You know everything is always a year or two out," he said in October. "After one year, everybody's not just going to change and say, 'Steph Curry's the best player in the league.' It's just not how it usually goes."
Now that it's two in a row, with his team breaking the record for the most wins in season-a record that was previously thought to be insurmountable, it is time to give Curry what is due. Stephen Curry is now the best player in the NBA.
However, the Warriors will have to survive their suddenly challenging series with the Portland Trail Blazers without the best. Oregon Live reports that Curry's status for the game is "questionable" and it will be a "game time decision."
The Warriors wanted to hold off Curry's return to make sure he is 100% in the Conference Finals, but a Game 3 win in Portland forced the Warriors to question if they could even make it to the next round. Game 4 is vital as it will determine whether the series will go 3-1 in favor of Golden State (with Game 5 at their homecourt) or dead even at 2-2.
