The easy answer to the question is simply, no.
The question: can anyone catch Stephen Curry as he closes in on a second straight Kia MVP award? And based on what we’ve seen through the the Golden State Warriors’ first 52 games — where Curry has scored 25 or more points a staggering 37 times while leading the defending champs to a 48-4 record — the answer again would be a resounding, no.
The math just doesn’t add up for the competition.
If Curry just continues on his current pace — he leads the league in scoring with 29.8 points — there is no catching him. Everyone else is playing for second place.
No team made a move at Thursday’s trade deadline to change the narrative for the remainder of this season. And there isn’t a challenger prepared to battle Curry to the wire the way Houston’s James Harden did last season.
Sure, Kevin Durant could make things interesting if he keeps lighting it up the way he has recently. And LeBron James is always neck-deep in the MVP conversation. But Curry is so far ahead of the pack that it makes it improbable that anyone can catch him.
“Honestly, they might as well shut it down right now,” an Eastern Conference executive said of the MVP chase. “Steph is on another level right now. I know it was a good debate the first few weeks of the season, but once they hit 24-0 and the way he was playing … he basically lapped the field.”
The fact that Curry and the Warriors are focused on things bigger than individual honors makes it even more remarkable. When you have a chance to chase and potentially top the Chicago Bulls’ record 72-win season in 1995-96, when you are locked in on repeating as world champions, something like the MVP race fades into the tapestry of what could be an even greater piece of art.
If you need more proof that Curry has transitioned from a hoops phenomenon to a pop-culture icon, look no further than this week’s intriguing social media hijinks from hip-hop mogul Kanye West.
West’s tweet that he’s the musical version of Michael Jordan and Curry, “the best of 2 generations,” serves as the ultimate piece of evidence that Curry has ascended to the next level.
Curry’s response Thursday was as measured as it was savvy, from a player who still seems to be getting used to frontrunner status.
“I’ve seen a lot his crazy, kind of outlandish tweets, especially in the past month,” Curry told reporters Thursday when asked for his thoughts on West’s words. “When I saw my name cross through his fingertips that was pretty funny and honoring at the same time. But also very weird, putting me in the same conversation with Michael and Kanye.”
Get used to it Steph.
The Top 10 in this week’s KIA Race to the MVP Ladder:
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Curry’s “Splash Brothers” counterpart, Klay Thompson, relieved him of his hardware in the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest during NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto. But that’s the only title he’ll surrender this season. Curry remains the leader of the pack in the MVP race and will be extremely difficult to catch over the final 30 games of this season. Curry and the Warriors have history on their minds as they enter this final stretch of the season, as they chase the Chicago Bulls’ NBA-record 72-game win mark. A 25-5 finish will put the Warriors into rare air if Curry and his crew can handle their business.
2. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
The Thunder superstar said during NBA All-Star 2016 that he finally feels like he’s back to his old self, which is a horrible thing for the rest of the league. In the 10 games before the All-Star break, Durant averaged 32 points on 51 percent shooting, to go along with 8.5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.2 blocks. He shredded the Warriors for 40 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in the Thunder’s Feb. 6 loss to the defending champs. It was a preview of what the Warriors and the rest of the league can expect from Durant the remainder of this season. His mission to deliver the Thunder back to the league’s elite won’t end, not as long as he and Russell Westbrook are healthy.
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
No team needed the relief of the All-Star break more than James and his Cavaliers, what with all of the drama they had to deal with in the aftermath of David Blatt’s firing and Tyronn Lue taking over for Blatt. The trade deadline passed without the team’s core being shaken up and the Cavs looked refreshed and recharged in Thursday night’s thumping of the Chicago Bulls on TNT. James certainly look fresh, finishing with 25 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Now that things appear to have settled down, James can go about the business of solidifying his team’s position atop the Eastern Conference standings.
4. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Westbrook collected his second straight All-Star MVP trophy, showing that his unrelenting drive travels everywhere, even out of the country. We should have seen the All-Star MVP coming. Westbrook was a walking triple-double in the 10 games leading up to Toronto, averaging 24.3 points, 10.2 assists and 9.7 rebounds for a Thunder team that ran off an 8-2 mark during that stretch. During Westbrook’s continued development as an all-around point guard, the only legitimate gripe about his game remains the most amazing aspect of his spectacular showing this season.
5. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
The Spurs took one on the chin against the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday night on TNT, their first action since the All-Star break. They had to play without Leonard, who sat out with calf tightness. Not having their best player and the league’s best defender in uniform gave the Clippers advantages that simply are not there when Leonard is healthy and in action. Leonard’s work in the 10 games prior to the break (21 points on 55 percent shooting, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and his usual lockdown defense) highlights his true value to a Spurs attack that simply is not the same when rests.
6. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
The two most important numbers for Paul and the Clippers this season are 19 and 5 — their record without Blake Griffin in uniform. Paul continues to pound the drum for Griffin, insisting that no matter what the record is without his high-flying power forward, the only thing that matters is what they do when Griffin returns. And he might be right. But his work in the meantime has been the key for a Clippers team that continues to define itself in Griffin’s absence. The trade deadline passed without any major shakeup to the roster and the critical addition of Jeff Green to the mix.
7. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
No one seemed to enjoy Toronto and NBA All-Star 2016, and all that is has to offer, than the first-timer from the Golden State Warriors. Green was literally everywhere, and that includes his Saturday night 3-point duel with comedian Kevin Hart. But now that the fun is over, Green, the league’s triple-double leader, will get back to the business of trying to help the Warriors make history (he’s openly embracing a shot at 73 wins) and make it back to The Finals. If Green or any of the other Warriors are experiencing any fatigue from their historic pace this season, they’re doing a fantastic job of hiding it.
8. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Last week’s ranking: No. 9
Lowry was all smiles as one of the unofficial hosts of NBA All-Star 2016 (teammate and fellow All-Star DeMar DeRozan being the other). But don’t let the cheek-to-cheek grin fool you. He and the Raptors are dead-set on chasing Cleveland for that top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The Raptors have plenty of time to give chase and, based on the way they played before the break, should be taken seriously as a legitimate challenger for that coveted No. 1 spot. Lowry was on a roll before the break, averaging 21.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals in the 10 games leading up to NBA All-Star 2016.
9. Isaiah Thomas, Boston Celtics
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Thomas looked like a natural on the All-Star stage with the rest of the league’s elite players, validating what Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge believed about him when he traded for the pint-sized playmaker last season. Thomas and the Celtics are also poised to continue their climb up the Eastern Conference standings down the stretch of the regular season. Thomas was at his best in the weeks leading up to Toronto, averaging 20.8 points, 6.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in the 10 games prior to the break. The Celtics didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline, despite being involved in numerous rumors, but at least they know who will lead them the rest of thew way.
10. Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Last week’s ranking: Not ranked
If the Eastern Conference All-Stars were able to keep up the pace, George and not Russell Westbrook would have walked off the stage in Toronto with the MVP trophy. George was in the zone, finishing with a game-high 41 points, setting a record with 9 3-pointers and coming up a point shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s scoring record for the game. George did that damage in just 27 minutes, a performance the Pacers would love for him to duplicate tonight in Oklahoma City (8 ET, ESPN) when they kick off the stretch run of the season. The Pacers’ playoff hopes rest on George’s ability to finish the regular season the way he started (23.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.8 steals in his first 53 games) this season.
Others Receiving Consideration: Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons; James Harden, Houston Rockets; DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors; Paul Millsap, Atlanta, Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat.
Sekou Smith is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.
