Curry becomes 1st reigning MVP to finish top 10 in MIP voting
In case you needed another reminder of how singularly spectacular Steph Curry's season has been, he just got voted the NBA's fourth-most improved player, a season after being named the league's most valuable.
According to SportsCenter, Curry is the first reigning MVP to ever finish in the top 10 in MIP voting the following season.
That seems to bode well for what should be not only the second straight Maurice Podoloff Trophy for the Golden State Warriors point guard, but also the first unanimous MVP coronation in NBA history.
While it might seem absurd to give a Most Improved vote to a guy that was bestowed with the league's top individual honor just 12 months ago, the numbers make it difficult to argue.
| Season | PPG | 3P/G | TS% | USG% | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-15 | 23.8 | 3.6 | 63.8 | 28.9 | 28 |
| 2015-16 | 30.1 | 5.1 | 66.9 | 32.6 | 31.5 |
Curry obliterated his own record for made 3-pointers, with 116 more than the already unprecedented 286 he canned last year. His shooting splits (.504/.454/.908) marked the highest field-goal and 3-point percentages of his career - despite the dramatic uptick in volume - and made him just the second-ever member of the 50-45-90 club. The difference is the first player to do it (Steve Nash in 2007-08) took 636 fewer field goals, 505 fewer 3-pointers, and 255 fewer free throws.
There's plenty to be said for taking one's game from average to good, or good to great. It takes a ton of work to do either of those things, and it's in recognition of that work that the Most Improved Player award was created. Rarer, but certainly no less impressive, is what Curry did this season: Followed up the best season in the league with one of the best seasons in league history; doing things nobody thought possible, and then doing even more.
How much better can he get?