Steph Curry Should Absolutely Be MVP Frontrunner With Kevin Durant Leaving Golden State

The Golden State Warriors enter the 2019-20 season under different circumstances than they've had for the past half decade. Kevin Durant declined his player option and signed with the Brooklyn Nets. Klay Thompson suffered a torn ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, leaving his status for the regular season in serious jeopardy.

With that, the team lies in the hands of Steph Curry, who should be the frontrunner for NBA MVP next season.

Once Durant joined the Warriors in the summer of 2016, Curry took a bit of a backseat in terms of shots. With a fellow elite scorer starting alongside him, it alleviated pressure off Curry's shoulders.

Let's not forget Curry previously won the NBA MVP in back-to-back years. Perhaps the most impressive of the two years was during the 2015-16 season.

During that historical year, Curry averaged 30.1 points and 2.1 steals, both of which were the most in the league. Curry showcased his clutch gene that year, as he averaged a staggering 50.4 points per 48 minutes in fourth quarters, which ranks ahead of players such as Kobe Bryant (2005-06), Kyrie Irving (2012-13), and LeBron James (2009-10).

While many are writing epitaphs on the Warriors dynasty, as long as Steph Curry remains on the team, they're going to continue to clinch playoff berths. When looking at his past before the arrival of Durant, Curry was putting up monster numbers.

If history proves anything, Curry will be an MVP frontrunner next season.