The change that allowed Steph Curry to sign an MVP season

Monstrous this season, Stephen Curry has shown after his return from injury that he is still part of the league. However, the leader is no longer who he was before. A Warriors staff member recently revealed what has changed about the two-time MVP.

Finishing in the Top 3 of the MVP race when your franchise is only eighth in its conference doesn’t happen often. Stephen Curry however did, and with the manner. Best scorer of the season (32 points per game), the Chef was quite simply exceptional in 2020-21, and practically carried his Warriors on his own to the Play-In-Tournament.

An impressive performance, which goes hand in hand with the disconcerting ease that the n ° 30 displays on the floors. However, the three-time NBA champion has indeed changed according to Leandro Barbosa, especially in terms of his mentality. Asked about Steph during the podcast Steiny, Guru & DibsCoach assistant Steve Kerr explained how the point guard changed his approach to his role:

The difference is that he now knows that he has a lot of pressure, a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He was good, he was doing pretty much what he’s been doing this season, but he had a few other players around him. He didn’t have so much responsibility on his back, on his shoulders. He now knows he needs to score 35 points in every game.

With the absence of Klay Thompson for two years and the departure of Kevin Durant towards Brooklyn, Curry has indeed lost a lot of talent around him. He is now the player with the most experience in the workforce of Golden State (12 NBA seasons) and must act as the only head of gondola in attack, the one on which all the opposing defenses are focused.

The good news is that he seems to have coped with it perfectly. His 2019-20 season truncated by injuries (5 games played) will certainly have allowed him to increase his knowledge of the game and his strengths, based on video sessions and individual training. Enough to make it the unstoppable machine it is today.

It’s a real relief for Californians, who will be able to attack next year with the knife between their teeth. Thompson should finally be back, and rumors about the arrival of a big-caliber interior keep swelling. Add to that a Draymond Green always so helpful, and Steph will once again have a very large squad by his side.

The intelligent basketball player that he is, Stephen Curry has been able to adapt on the court, but also mentally to the changes that have taken place around him. This is also how we recognize the best in their field.