Updated on May 9 at 11:30 a.m. ET:
Stephen Curry will win his second-straight NBA MVP award later this week, according to a report. Whether or not the Golden State Warriors star will be the first unanimous selection is still unknown.
Original story, posted on April 11 at 3:00 p.m. ET:
There has never been a unanimous MVP selection in NBA history, but that could change with the incredible 2015-16 season Stephen Curry is having for the Golden State Warriors.
The reigning league MVP is a no brainer to repeat, but will he able to get the first ever consensus vote? The panel includes media members representing all teams, which has historically lent itself to a local bias for other MVP contenders.
Case in point: LeBron James (in 2012-13) and Shaquille O'Neal (1999-2000) both came within one ballot of a clean sweep, but were denied by a reporter from New York (who voted for Carmelo Anthony) and Philadelphia (who voted for Allen Iverson), respectively.
But again, if anyone can buck the trend, it's Curry. Here are the top three reasons he will be the first unanimous league MVP.
3) Numbers game
The game has never before seen a high-volume, high-efficiency player quite like Curry. Even with a poor shooting night in the Warriors' season finale, Curry should finish the season as the highest scorer in the league's exclusive 50-40-90 club for field-goal percentage, 3-point field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage.
Currry could even become the first ever 50-45-90 player, made more impressive by the fact that he bottoms an average of five 3-pointers per game. Speaking of which, Curry shattered his own record of made 3s in a season (286) all the way back in February, and is on pace to finish with just below 400 this season.
And he is doing all of this in less than 35 minutes per game, including 18 games in which he sat out the entire fourth quarter.
2) Numbers game (Part II)
For new-school members of the MVP panel that prefer advanced stats, Curry's case only gets stronger. His regular-season WAR (wins above replacement) of 31.28 is the eighth-best all-time, per BasketballReference.com, putting him in elite company with Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. His Real Plus-Minus, per ESPN.com, is a league-best 8.92.
Back in December, Five Thirty Eight's Benjamin Morris wrote an in-depth article on how Curry is revolutionizing the game, which cited how his unprecedented 3-point pace has made him the most valuable shooter in league history — by a long shot. The Sporting News' Scott Rafferty also put out an Xs and Os piece breaking down how much better Curry makes the Warriors just by the attention he draws on the offensive end.
No matter how you slice it, Curry is dominating the numbers game.
1) Best team ... ever?
The other crucial measure by which MVPs are judged is how their team is performing. After defeating the Spurs in San Antonio on Sunday -- a game in which Curry scored 37 points on 13-for-22 shooting -- the Warriors will at-worst finish in a tie with the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls for the best record in NBA history. A win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday would secure the all-time best mark at 73-9.
The victory over the Spurs was yet another reminder of Golden State's dominance, and a microcosm of a season in which Curry has shown up in the biggest moments of the biggest games. The Warriors have been one of the most clutch teams ever to grace the hardwood, dropping only two contests decided by five points or less all year. Curry, who has established himself as the league's King of Clutch, has been the floor general of every close victory.
By taking three of four in their season series against the Spurs, the Warriors have no equal when it comes to regular-season success. Win No. 72, which wiped away San Antonio's shot perfect home record, should be the last thing needed to stamp Curry's ticket to a unanimous selection.
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