The Golden State Warriors were counted out by many from making the playoffs at the start of the season. Due to Klay Thompson’s injury, people thought that the Warriors would drop off dramatically. However, they have recently come up with some big wins and currently sit at a 7-6 record. The Warriors are in this position after some amazing play from Stephen Curry. Curry is currently having a revenge season after having to sit out most of last season, and could easily bring his team to the playoffs, even without Klay Thompson.
The Golden State Warriors have recently come up with some incredible comeback wins against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers. It took a while for the team to learn how to play around Stephen Curry: but now that they have developed some chemistry, they can help Stephen Curry dominate. Stephen Curry and his Warriors could be a tough matchup for the Los Angeles teams, and we saw glimpses of that in their games.
Stephen Curry Is Playing At An MVP Level
Stephen Curry is currently having an elite level and is having his highest scoring output since the 2015-16 season, at 28.2 PPG. It is natural for his scoring to increase: with Klay Thompson out, Curry will have to carry a huge load on the offensive end. So far he’s been doing well, showing that the Stephen Curry that was there pre-Kevin Durant is still there. Curry was the scoring leader during the 2015-16 season: perhaps this is the season we see Curry win it again. Stephen Curry has the potential to break the 30.0 PPG mark simply due to his usage rate this season, which ranks in the top 5 during the 2020-21 season.
La défense des Clippers #ClipperNation sur Steph Curry #NBA #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/c84vYsPhuX
— NoVaSport (@NoVaSport4) January 9, 2021
Without another MVP caliber player next to him, Stephen Curry has obviously been the main focus of a team. Raptors Coach Nick Nurse popularized the box-and-one defense during the 2019 NBA Finals, and it’s a defense that many teams have utilized against Curry during the season. Stephen Curry has faced a variety of strange defensive schemes against him this season due to him being the lone superstar offensive threat on the Warriors. The Clippers used a variety of defensive schemes against Curry in their matchups this season. However, despite the increased defensive attention, Stephen Curry has thrived.
Stephen Curry is currently averaging MVP numbers, with 28.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 6.2 APG. If the Warriors continue winning and keep a positive record, then Stephen Curry could win MVP. In 2017, Russell Westbrook won the MVP over James Harden in part because of the narrative that he brought his team to the playoffs as the clear main guy without another All-Star present. Draymond Green is an All-Star, but he hasn’t been selected to the team for a few years. Stephen Curry’s situation is similar to Westbrook’s in 2017. It is simple: if Stephen Curry keeps up similar statistics and brings the Warriors to the playoffs, then he’s in the running for the MVP award.
Stephen Curry Could Be A Problem For Los Angeles
If Stephen Curry is playing at an MVP level, then he could pose a threat to both of the contenders in Los Angeles. Stephen Curry is a proven winner and a former MVP; he might even win it this year. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers are currently the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Western Conference. They both have duos of game-changing superstars: but sometimes that won’t matter against a player who can erase any deficit like Stephen Curry.
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Stephen Curry has lead his teams to huge comeback wins against each of the Los Angeles contenders. The Lakers and the Clippers have both blown leads to the Golden State Warriors in recent memory. While these matchups are regular-season matchups, they highlighted how the Warriors have improved over the start of the season, after their losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets
The Warriors have surrounded Stephen Curry and Draymond Green with young athletic defenders who have scoring upside. The Warriors’ defense has the potential to be suffocating, and their wing players have the athleticism to defend Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. On top of the defense, they will also need some Stephen Curry isolation plays in late-game situations, similar to a play that pit Curry against Anthony Davis in the recent game against the Lakers.
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What it will take for the upset though, is Stephen Curry doing his best impression of his 2016 self. Stephen Curry is an unselfish superstar, but the Warriors will need him to score the basketball a lot to even stand a chance. These regular-season matchups offer a blueprint of how the Warriors could squeak out a few wins in a series but winning four games against the Los Angeles Lakers or the Los Angeles Clippers will be another story. Stephen Curry has a solid supporting roster, but he doesn’t have a true second option behind him yet. The Warriors will win games with their defense, but they need Curry to supercharge their offense.
If Stephen Curry heats up, then he could be a problem in the playoffs. Curry is a playoff performer and someone who has changed the entire game of basketball due to his style of play. Either Los Angeles team would be the favorite against the Warriors in the playoffs series. But with Stephen Curry leading a lot of guys that are hungry to win for an elite franchise, he could be an absolute menace if he matches up with either contender. Many people don’t expect Curry and the Warriors to make noise in the postseason: but it is the underdogs with nothing to lose that people should pay attention to.
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