Steph Curry just earned an honor no MVP in NBA history ever has
On Friday, the NBA announced that Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum won Most Improved Player for the 2015-16 regular season. This particular award can be nebulous, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with the result.
In his third season, McCollum's box score averages shot through the roof because he finally got an opportunity to show what he can do with more playing time and offensive responsibility. Did he actually "improve," though? Maybe.
On the other hand, there's no questioning if Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry got demonstrably better. The 28-year-old wasn't satisfied after he won the MVP last year, and he brought his game to an even higher level in 2016, so much so that some voters couldn't deny him a spot on a ballot that's normally reserved for the league's less-heralded up-and-comers:
Steph Curry is the 1st reigning MVP to finish in the top 10 in Most Improved Player voting the following season. pic.twitter.com/ksfhPSVS0W
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 22, 2016
Curry finished fourth overall behind McCollum, Kemba Walker and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he tied Walker for the second-most first-place votes, with seven. That makes plenty of sense.
Curry's points per game rose from 23.8 to a league-high 30.1. He attempted 2.9 more three pointers per 36 minutes and somehow became more accurate. Curry's PER went up 3.5 to a league-leading (and historically great) 31.5. (In 1985, Larry Bird's PER rose 2.3—the previous all-time high for a reigning MVP.)
Curry's 2015 was magic. He hit shots that didn't make sense and revolutionized the league. His 2016 was arguably the best offensive season in NBA history, and he pulled it off with a target on his back, facing myriad complicated defensive coverages on a nightly basis.
McCollum is a deserving winner, but Curry's ridiculous improvement hangs over it like a shadow. What could he possibly have in store for us in his eighth season?
