CURRY, KD PUT TEAM FIRST
Superstars focused on grinding out victories — MVP awards secondary
OAKLAND >> Stephen Curry seemed amused with the topic. He remembered how happy he feels when he either hoists a Larry O’Brien trophy or nails a 30-foot 3-pointer. So why should Curry care about pursuing what would be a third regular-season MVP award?
“It’s not something I’ve been saying I want to accomplish this year,” Curry told Bay Area News Group. “I’ve talked about my process night in and night out. I want to help my team win and play at a certain level.”
So does Kevin Durant, who joined the Warriors two years ago partly because he preferred holding championship hardware than collecting another regular-season MVP trophy. Two NBA titles and two Finals MVPs later, Durant has said he has not changed his mind.
“It’s cool to have your name in that stuff. It shows that you’re playing well and the team is successful, but we’re not getting up every day and grinding for that,” Durant said. “If it’s an addin? Don’t get me wrong. If we can throw on top of what we have already, cool. But I think guys just want to work because they love the game.”
Curry and Durant maintain they are working for something more predictable and pure. The Warriors (20-10) could become the sixth team in NBA history to win three consecutive championships, the first since the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002). Therefore, Curry and Durant stressed they are not exhausting their physical and mental energy toward winning another regularseason MVP trophy.
“They’re both naturally very competitive people. I don’t think you can get this far as they’ve come being MVP’s and champions without being ultracompetitive,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s not anything Warriors stars Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry exit the plane with hardware after completing a sweep of the Cavaliers to win the 2018NBA title.
you teach. So they love to play and work harder than anybody on their games every single day. It’s a pretty good combination when you’re really talented, really hard working and you’re competitive.”
As a result, Curry and Durant are naturally in the regular-season MVP discussion anyway. Durant and Curry rank second and third, respectively, in the NBA in points per game (28.9), trailing only Houston’s James Harden (30.8). Curry has gone 50.3 percent from the field and 48.0 percent from 3-point range along with averaging 5.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Durant has shown slightly more efficiency from the field (51.1 percent) and become less prolific from the perimeter (35.9 percent) along with averaging 7.7 rebounds and
6.2 assists per contest.
Though Durant and Curry dismissed the early regular-season MVP race, they admitted they have monitored the earlier candidates. Curry said he has his eyes on “the usual suspects,” while Durant offered more specifics. Durant argued “a lot of guys” deserve the regular-season MVP, including Curry, Harden, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook.
Curry and Durant are playing amazing basketball, too.
Curry’s longtime trainer, Brandon Payne, said that
his offseason regimen became “more structured” with six consecutive weeks of training in the Bay Area. Curry mapped out this schedule since his wife, Ayesha, gave birth to their son, Canon, in July. During that time, Curry strengthened his ankles and knees as well as his core muscles with both strength and conditioning and pool workouts. Curry also completed a virtual reality workout, which tested his on-court decision making and vision without exerting extra pounding on his body.
Then, Curry opened the season with three consecutive 30-point games for the first time in his 10-year NBA career. He also set an NBA record by draining at least five 3-pointers in seven consecutive games. While missing 11 games with a strained left groin, Curry
reported keeping his conditioning sharp during his rehab workouts. Since his return, Curry has averaged 28.9 points while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from the perimeter along with 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Durant has had to temper with either putting his foot on the gas pedal during Curry’s 11-game absence or shifting gears to accommodate Curry’s presence. During Curry’s injury, Durant averaged 33.72 points while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. Otherwise, Durant has averaged 28.9 points on 51.3 percent shooting and 7.7 rebounds, which are in line with his career averages.
Plenty of attention has hovered over Durant’s uncertain future. He plans to opt out of his $31 million player option next summer
to become an unrestricted free agent. That attention heightened when Durant and Draymond Green argued about the final play of regulation against the Los Angeles Clippers last month. Those issues have not compromised Durant’s production, however, regardless of Curry’s health.
“I just want to be up for every challenge that’s up there with every possession,” Durant said. “Whether it’s guarding a small player or guarding a big, switching on or contesting a 3-point line, I just want to be up for anything. In turn, that gets me up for any situation. If Steph is out, Draymond is out or Klay [Thompson] is out, we run a different play. But if I have to sit in the corner and be a decoy, I just want to be ready for any moment.”