Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after making a three-point shot against the Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
NBA MVP Mountain: No. 1 – Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Statline: 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 5.2 3-pointers, 61.5 percent true-shooting
The case: Stephen Curry is a transcendent offensive player. He’s one of the two or three best in the league, and perhaps among the ten-best of all-time. His offensive start to the season has been somewhat muted compared to his normal high standards; he leads the league in three-pointers but on a ho-hum (for him) 38.8 percent shooting from long-range.
The reality is that the Warriors haven’t needed him to be unstoppable, as they have a real team around him with players who can pass and shoot. Curry is making the right read against double teams, he is locked in on the defensive end (career-highs in rebound and block percentages), and for the cherry on top, is leading the league in free-throw percentage for the sixth time in his career.
Curry holds the marquee performance of the season as well, the league’s first (and only thus far) 50-point game. It occurred when he eviscerated the Atlanta Hawks this past Monday night.
That win also brought the Warriors to 9-1, two losses fewer than any other team. Their net rating of +13.3 is 3.8 points higher than the second-place Utah Jazz. The Warriors are the best defense in the league by a mile and the fifth-ranked offense.
Simply put, Curry is currently leading the best team in the league. That may not stay the case, but his numbers are strong, he has the big games already in his ledger, and his team is winning. That’s the complete package for an MVP bid, and it places him closest to the peak of our MVP Mountain.
places him closest to the peak</a> of our MVP Mountain.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/11/nba-mvp-mountain-curry-leads/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat dribbles against the Boston Celtics (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA MVP Mountain: No. 2 – Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat</h2>
<p><strong>Statline:</strong> 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.1 steals, 62.4 true-shooting percentage</p>
<p><strong>The case:</strong> If the story in the early part of the season in the Western Conference has been the Golden State Warriors, in the East it has been the Miami Heat. They have wins over the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Utah Jazz – all preseason title contenders. Leading the way has been a rejuvenated Jimmy Butler.</p>
<p>Butler is everywhere on defense, linking with Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker to shut down any perimeter threat out there. His strength and speed allow the Heat to switch liberally and not fear the resulting matchup. Butler is once again averaging more than two steals per game, the third time in his career he has done that.</p>
<p>Offensively he is leading the Heat in scoring, acting as the orchestrator of an attack that is thriving despite Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry – the only two shooters in the starting lineup – shooting 34.1 percent or lower from long-range.</p>
<p>Those percentages should only go up, likely increasing Butler’s assist numbers in the process. His usage rate is the highest of his career, and even in his age-32 season, he is capable of being an MVP candidate on a team that looks like a true contender.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/11/nba-mvp-mountain-curry-leads/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets plays against the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA MVP Mountain: No. 3 – Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets</h2>
<p><strong>Statline</strong>: 29.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.9 3-pointers, 65.5 true-shooting percentage</p>
<p><strong>The case</strong>: Kevin Durant was a popular preseason pick for MVP, and it’s not like he has done anything to dissuade his supporters of that pick. He leads the league in scoring at 29.5 points per game, almost two points more than the second-place Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is doing that while shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from deep.</p>
<p>With only James Harden as a creator on this team, as Kyrie Irving is AWOL and Patty Mills is more of an off-ball gunner, Durant has shouldered more of that load. He is averaging 5.3 assists and running the offense through himself. His usage rate of 32.9 percent is his highest since his MVP season in 2013-14.</p>
<p>The reason Durant isn’t at the top of this list is team success. While the Nets are a reasonably strong 7-4, they have had to fight and claw their way there. Their net rating on the season is just barely positive, ranking 16th in the league.</p>
<p>Kevin Durant has really been working alone. James Harden has disappointed, their big rotation has been unavailable or defensive sieves, and overall, their offense ranks just 21st in the entire league. You can’t point to Durant as the MVP of the league when his team is struggling this much. He’ll need to find a way to enlist their help in scaling this superstar slope.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/11/nba-mvp-mountain-curry-leads/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets gives high fives against the Houston Rockets (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)”n</p>
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<h2>NBA MVP Mountain: No. 4 – Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets</h2>
<p><strong>Statline</strong>: 25.4 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks, 1.6 3-pointers, 68.9 true-shooting percentage</p>
<p><strong>The case</strong>: Nikola Jokic won the MVP last season, leading the Denver Nuggets to a top-three finish with simply bonkers numbers. Not only did he fill up the stat sheet, but the Nuggets were staggeringly good when he was on the court, and the disparity only grew wider when Jamal Murray went down with an ACL tear.</p>
<p>This season, he is back with more of the same, leading the league in all-in-one metrics like Box Plus/Minus by a mile. Yet while last season he was the best offensive player in the league, somehow this year he has been its best defender – that is, he leads the league in defensive rating, and the Nuggets have been downright oppressive on that end when he has played. That doesn’t make sense as a sustainable fact, but the reality has to be that Jokic is no longer a pure pushover on defense.</p>
<p>He’s been sublime on offense as well, ranking 10th in the league in scoring with 25.4 points per game and being top-20 in assists despite a slow start. He’s also been blisteringly efficient, creating the 60-40-79.2 club (close enough to call it 80?). No player in NBA history has ever shot 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range while attempting at least four three-pointers per game.</p>
<p>The Denver Nuggets are a decent 6-4 on the season, including a recent beatdown of the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, Jokic took that adjective literally and uncorked a cheap-shot shove of Markieff Morris late in the game that resulted in a one-game suspension. The Nuggets will absolutely miss him, as Jokic has been one of the very best players in the league thus far.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/11/nba-mvp-mountain-curry-leads/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks in action against the Washington Wizards (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NBA MVP Mountain: No. 5 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks</h2>
<p><strong>Statline</strong>: 27.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 3-pointers, 58.2 true-shooting percentage</p>
<p><strong>The case</strong>: Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off a truly special three-year run, winning the MVP award in back-to-back seasons and then hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy last season. His numbers this year have been every bit as special, and he ranks second in the league in scoring as he tries to carry this Milwaukee Bucks team on his back.</p>
<p>That isn’t hyperbole, even if it is a metaphor – Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have played multiple games without four of their full-health starters. Their top eight players in terms of minutes played include Jordan Nwora, a second-year second-round pick, and Justin Robinson, who the Bucks snagged off the scrap heap prior to the season. Oh, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Giannis’ older brother) who is a complete non-factor on offense. This list doesn’t include Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, or Donte DiVincenzo.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, Antetokounmpo is posting a sky-high usage rate of 35 percent, only a few ticks off of heliocentric maestro Luka Doncic for the league lead. Even with opposing defenses able to completely key in on him, Antetokounmpo has been brilliant, and it’s a testament to that brilliance that the Bucks are even 4-6 given their injury woes.</p>
<p><strong>Honorable Mentions:</strong> Paul George (Clippers on a five-game winning streak), Rudy Gobert (elite impact as always), ZacMar DeLaRozine (both LaVine and DeRozan are top-6 in scoring, Bulls tied for first in the Eastern Conference).</p>
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