Argumentative Essay

03/26/15

Stephen Curry for MVP

        Drafted 7th overall in 2009, by the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry is debatably the most valuable player in the NBA. Stephen Curry should be the MVP of the 2014-2015 NBA regular season because his statistics, his positive off court demeanor, and for leading his team to the best record in the league.  

1. Stephen Curry’s statistics are equally as good as the other potential MVP’s.
2. He is a positive asset when dealing with off court affairs.
3. He is the leader and captain of the #1 team in the NBA.
4. Therefore, Stephen Curry should be named the 2014-2015 NBA regular season MVP.

Curry’s consistency in all fields of the game can be seen by his statistics. Being subjected to limited minutes because of a deep rotation is one thing that sets his statistics back compared to the other potential winners. Steph has been averaging 23 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds and almost 2 steals a game. He is putting up these numbers while averaging just less than 33 minutes compared to the 37 from Russell Westbrook and James Harden. It has been seen that with the more time a basketball player gets to perform, the higher their stat line usually is. Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Warriors, has found a good amount of time for Curry to produce what is necessary for their team to get wins. His ability to get All-star level statistics with limited minutes is a true sign of his talent. The best representation of his level of skill that is on his stat-line is his prolific shooting from the field at 47.9%, 42.2% from 3-point, and a 2.58 assist to turn over ratio. A statistic, found by ESPN, that puts a numerical value to the impact a player has on a teams success while on the floor compared to off is the real plus-minus score. His RPM is an 8.87, which makes him ranked above all other NBA players. This figure alone shows the value he brings to the court.

To be truly the most valuable to a team it doesn’t mean just filling the stat sheet. It involves being dominant on and off the court. This means not getting into trouble or bringing bad publicity to the team. Curry has been seen doing volunteer work, television commercials, and creating multiple foundations to raise money for charity (StephenCurry30.com). Along with charity/volunteer work, the best publicity a player can bring to their franchise is being confident and able to talk to the media in a professional decent manor. Curry is asked tough questions daily about his team, his personal life, and about other players and teams in the league. Proof of Curry’s attitude and stature in the media can be seen in the way his team mates and other players talk about him. Draymond Green, who has become one of Curry's close friends on the Warriors said: "His persona, his character, fans take notice of that. He's probably one of, if not the most, beloved NBA players. And everything you see is not a façade — it's really him. That means a lot to fans."(USA Today).