After Kevin Durant proclaimed his mother, Wanda Pratt, was “the real MVP” for her role in his MVP win, the phrase became an internet sensation.
But what was a viral term last season was a genuine question this time around, as Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and James Harden all battled it out to be crowned the NBA’s most valuable player.
While it has yet to be officially confirmed by the NBA, a number of news and media outlets are reporting that Curry is to be announced this season’s most valuable player.
If the reports are true, it is well deserved.
Curry averaged 23.8 points (ppg), 7.7 assists (apg), 4.3 rebounds (rpg) and two steals this season while shooting 48.7 per cent from the floor and 44.3 per cent from three-point range in just over 32 minutes per game, down four minutes per game from last year. Curry was the best player on an historic regular season team that led the league in wins, points, point differential, assists, field goal per cent, and three-point per cent.
He also broke his own three-point record, setting a new NBA high 286 three-pointers, which accounted for 43.8 per cent of the total shots he made.
However, the NBA MVP race is one of those awards that is hard to quantify as each voter appears to have a different metric or marking scheme upon which they judge players.
The most famous example was the 2013 race when the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn denied LeBron James a unanimous MVP win by voting for Carmelo Anthony, citing Melo’s importance to the New York Knicks as greater than LeBron’s importance to the Miami Heat.
Some prioritise a player’s team performance, while others value a player’s importance to his team. Some rely on statistical data while others have certain criteria such as minimum numbers of games played. It’s tricky but generally voters use a combination of the above to determine who they think was the best player in the NBA in a particular season.
In my opinion Curry edges out Harden and LeBron as this season’s MVP, but it’s about as close as it ever has been.
Firstly, Curry was the best player on the best team in the NBA. Curry helped transform the Warriors from a good team into a great team, and although LeBron’s arrival resulted in Cleveland gaining an extra 20 wins, Curry did it with virtually the same team (albeit with a new head coach).
Statistically, LeBron (25,5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 7.4 apg) and Harden (27.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 7.0 apg) both had better seasons, although both players benefited from an increase in minutes, 36.1 and 36.8 respectively, compared to Curry’s 32.7. Using per 36 minute numbers, the three are much closer than their season averages indicate, but the fact is Curry’s statistical campaign was not even as good as his previous season’s numbers, where he averaged 24.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 8.5 apg. Does that mean he was any less effective?
The statistical argument is a valid point, but can also be negated at times as no player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won the MVP award without making the playoffs. If we were to judge the MVP race off statistical analysis alone a very credible case could be made for Anthony Davis, whose 24.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.9 bpg and 1.5 spg at 53.5 per cent from the field would be very hard to beat.
But there is a big difference between the fantasy MVP and the actual MVP and the fact that Curry led his club to a franchise record 67 wins, was the best player on that team, broke his own three-point record and nearly entered the 50-40-90 club (50per cent field goal accuracy, 40 per cent from three, 90 per cent free throws) playing nearly four minutes less a game than his rivals, validates his status as the 2014-15 NBA MVP.
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