Matt Slocum/Associated Press
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry believes he should take home the 2020-21 MVP award.
The point guard explained his position in a preview of his appearance on the Rex Chapman Show released Wednesday:
Rex Chapman@RexChapmanTomorrow is Wardell Stephen Curry II Day. @StephenCurry30
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Are you the MVP this year? https://t.co/213ARatpWh
“I mean, I gotta be. I gotta be,” Curry said. “I probably won’t get it but whatever.”
Curry has already won two NBA MVP awards, but he is on pace for a career high and leading the NBA with 31.4 points per game. He is also averaging 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting 43.1 percent from three-point range and 92.2 percent from the free-throw line.
His production has been especially impressive of late. He has scored at least 40 points in four of his last five games and averaged 40.8 points per game in April. He has also shot 54.9 percent from the field and 50.3 percent from beyond the arc this month.
Perhaps most importantly, he has lifted the Warriors into playoff contention after the squad finished with the worst record in the NBA last year.
It still might not be enough to catch Nikola Jokic, the current heavy favorite to win the MVP award at minus-350 (bet $350 to win $100), per FanDuel. Curry has the fourth-best odds (+1800) behind Joel Embiid (+350) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (+1600).
Jokic is in the midst of an outstanding year, averaging 26.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game for the Denver Nuggets. He leads the NBA in win shares (12.8), value over replacement player (7.0) and box plus/minus (11.9), per Basketball Reference.
The center also has the Nuggets sitting with the fourth-best record in the Western Conference at 37-20 despite the loss of guard Jamal Murray to a torn left ACL.
Curry will have to continue his torrid pace to make the MVP race even close by the end of the year.
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