Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry Is the Best Player in the NBA

After the first month of the NBA season and a 13-0 start for the Golden State Warriors, it's time we all admit Stephen Curry is the best player in the NBA.

LeBron James fans—myself included—should step aside for the Chef ("Cheph" patent still pending). It's not a bad thing to relinquish James' top spot. It's merely respect for the hottest player in the league.

(To clarify: the greatest player in the league is James, but right now, Curry is the best.)

If something happens once, it's a fluke. If it happens twice, it's a trend and if it happens three times, then it's a pattern. And that's a microcosm of Curry's ascension to becoming the top player in the league. Curry started off as a hot shooter, turned into one of the game's best shooters and eventually turned into one of the best shooters ever, all while developing a gorgeous handle with an ability to pass and finish at the rim. This all happened in three years—oh, and add in an MVP and championship.

A quick stats comparison between James and Curry:

Player	Points Per Game	Assists/Game	Rebounds/Game	PER
Curry	34.2	5.8	5.3	34.87
James	27.3	6.1	6.9	27.87

Curry's 34.2 points per game would be the highest since Kobe Bryant in 2006. His PER would be the highest in the history of the NBA by more than three points, which essentially means that Curry is on pace to have the greatest all-around season ever, per SB Nation.

Yes, that PER will probably drop, but leave your attitude at the door. Enjoy this great basketball.

James and Curry are similar in assists and rebounds, meaning that Curry is, at worst, matching James in production.

To be fair, James can sleepwalk his way to averaging 30 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, but that's the irony. James' game is that he averages these numbers for his career. A guy that productive for that long tends to become boring because his success is so routine. In contrast, the flash which Curry brings just energizes fans and has never been seen before.

The title for best player may shift multiple times, and if you don't believe that Curry is the best player right now because you still think it's James, then you're right, too. The title for best player can shift hands multiple times the rest of the season because that's how close the race can be...only it isn't.

Hear me out.

Curry's game doesn't lend itself to slumps. He is one of the few players that can actually shoot his way out of a bad situation. Here's a shot chart of the Warriors' leading scorer in certain parts of the floor, per Kirk Goldsberry.

Notice how Curry owns the three-point line and under the basket. He is the epitome of the current NBA, with a focus on shooting three-pointers and finishing at the rim—see the Houston Rockets.

In the first quarter of Thursday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Curry had three points, two fouls and two turnovers. He sat out the last 7:45 of the quarter. It was an awful quarter for Curry as his counterpart, Chris Paul, completely owned him, going 7-of-7 from the field. 

A player in early foul trouble tends to have a bad game because he can't get into a rhythm. He has to play more carefully. And, if a player like LeBron is struggling from the field, he'll attack the rim and get to the free-throw line to curve his inefficiency. That style just doesn't apply to Curry.

Playing essentially three quarters, he finished the game 11-of-22 for 40 points, going 12-of-12 from the line and 6-of-14 from three, and had 11 rebounds and four assists. 

Look at this video of Curry making a three against Minnesota, per Warriors Nation.

How can you stop that? Not only does Miller block the shot, he messes up Curry's release and form. Is there any other player in the world that can make that shot? Take it a step further. Is there any other player in the world that can make that shot and we don't think it's lucky?

Two thoughts cross my mind every time I see Curry shoot. First, the shot is going in. Second, is this the start of a Curry heat check?

What's a Curry heat check? When he makes shots that don't make sense to normal human beings, like this one against Toronto, per the Warriors.

Look at the handle! Look at how little space he needs to operate! Look at how fast he commits to shooting the moment after he goes around the back! Look at the quickness of his release! Look at how far he is from the basket!

Curry even practices like a superhuman, routinely shooting from the logos near midcourt because, why not?

Practicing threes from that far away doesn't make sense because not even Curry shoots from there that often, but the fact he practices near-half-court shots invokes so many questions. Is it a mental thing because it makes closer shots seem easier? Does he want his range to literally be the moment he steps into the gym? Is he bored with making normal NBA threes? Is he preparing for the four-point-line?

And, unlike James—which I still don't understand—Curry is loved by everyone. He's a humble superstar. "I’m them," Curry said in a GQ article via SB Nation. "I can’t jump the highest. I’m obviously not the biggest, not the strongest. And so they see me out there and I look like a normal person"

Steph, I appreciate your humility, but don't be silly. You don't look like a normal person. You are exponentially better at your craft than we normal people will ever be at anything.

You can't hide behind your "normality" anymore because we in the basketball world know who you really are. You're an assassin. You're the best thing about the NBA. You're the best basketball player in the world.