Stephen Curry has never received an NBA Finals MVP award, but if he helps carry the new-look Golden State Warriors to three more victories against the Boston Celtics, he may need find some room in his crowded trophy case for that piece of hardware. Through the first two games of the NBA Finals, Curry has circumvented the Celtics' hard-nosed defense, averaging an impressive 31.5 points on 45-percent shooting with 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Although two games is a rather small sample size, the 34-year sharpshooter has caused Boston fits, and Curry's constant speed and off-ball movements have generated ample scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. The Warriors currently have a 120.0 offensive rating with Curry on the court, and when he sits, the mark drops to 90.0. He's also delivered on defense -- his rating of 109.2 ranks fifth among players averaging 25-plus minutes.
"His ability to attack in isolation, pick-and-rolls, and one-on-one basketball is a huge diversion from what the Warriors typically do with off-ball movement," Meadowlark Media NBA analyst Tom Haberstroh explained to the Reiter Than You show on Wednesday. "And so far in this series, it's worked like a charm -- trusting Steph Curry to go one-on-one against Boston defenders has worked brilliantly. Not just because of his scoring. He's also creating so much gravity.
"He has such a high gravitational pull to him, whenever he's on the ball. One time, there were four defenders on Curry in Game 2... Just by having him on the floor, you're seeing a completely different offense. And I expect in Game 3, you're going to see some different coverages from Boston. Because when lined up against a single defender, he's roasting them... And so far the Celtics haven't figured out how to guard Curry."
Curry, who recently won the inaugural Western Conference Finals MVP award, is averaging 26.6 points with 6.0 assists, 5.0 boards, and 1.3 steals through 18 playoff games this season. He's also scored 72 three-pointers, and according to ESPN Stats, it's the fifth time in his illustrious career that he's made 70-plus threes in a single postseason. With three more wins against the Celtics, Curry will be tied with LeBron James and 14 others as a four-time league champion.
Golden State, which clinched the West's third seed with a 53-29 record, will visit Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday night, with tipoff scheduled for 9 ET. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Warriors currently have a 20-percent chance to capture their fourth league title since 2015. If the Celtics hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, it'll be their NBA-record 18th in team history.
The entire NBA Finals conversation between Haberstroh and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.