Golden State's Most Valuable Warrior: Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis or David Lee?

Last night’s game may not have meant much to the Los Angeles Lakers. But for Golden State Warriors fans, it allowed them to peek into the future of their franchise. For Golden State, this win was huge.

The Warriors have not been a viable threat in the Western Conference since the 2007 playoff team that included Baron Davis and Jason Richardson. Even then, they dropped in the second round of the playoffs against Utah Jazz after a 4-1 series that ended in five games.

Last night, the sparks were flying from each end of the court as the Warriors kept themselves ahead of the Lakers with great offense and defense. LA was forced to take difficult shots. It was a lackluster performance for the Los Angeles: Kobe Bryant was unable to take the reins of the game; and Dorell Wright’s record-setting perimeter shots put the dagger in LA's third straight loss.

As for the Warriors, roles have certainly become more defined as the season's progressed, but there's still a question we want to know. Who's the most valuable Warrior of them all?

It's a question with a number of solutions.

You could retreat to the most obvious answer. Monta Ellis has been the most stable piece of any victorious equation Golden State has managed to orchestrate. He is normally the team’s leading scorer and is seen as the player with the most talent on the roster.

However, there have been times when the media has put him in bad light with fans. There are still questions of his maturity and if he could be the true leader for the team—not just as far as scoring goes, but with a championship attitude as well.

In 2009, according to a profile of the Golden State Warriors on NBA TV, Ellis was less than welcoming when informed of the Warriors’ decision to pick up another high scoring guard in Stephen Curry. He commented to reporters, saying he did not feel the back court would be as successful with both of them.

While Ellis has since appeared to adapt well to the addition of Curry—their back court is one of the highest scoring in the league—he has remained unable to shake the public's perception of his selfishness.

As for Stephen Curry, his arrival comes at a great time for the team. The Warriors' new owners, more than willing to be patient with the franchise, see potential in him that others may not.

Curry initially had troubled adjusting to the point guard position, simply due to his relative strength as an outside performer. But a point guard often has to dribble and drive through the paint to create shots for his teammates.

Now, Curry seems increasingly adept at his position. As a result, his value to the Golden State Warriors has skyrocketed.

But he’s young.

Youth plays a huge part in how you are viewed by your teammates, the staff of your team, and even the fans. Curry may have some more growing and fine-tuning to do before he could be placed in the leadership role for his team.

And our last contender? David Lee has become one of the more consistent pieces of the Warriors franchise. Like most big men, he's never expected to step outside of the line and hit a three in late game situations. But he's excelled in the low post, playing a key role in this three-game win streak against the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trailblazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Battling the boards against Andrew Bynum has been a task anticipated by anyone facing the Lakers after the All-Star break. (Meanwhile, Bynum has showcased the real reason wasn't traded to Denver in the Carmelo Anthony debacle.)

Lee took on the challenge with certainty—just as he did in defending LaMarcus Aldridge in the Warriors 108-87 win over the Trailblazers.   

All that said, it's safe to say that each player is so effective in their own contributions to the team that without any three of them there would be a noticeable decline in their success. Golden State has a lot of work to do—and nothing can be dramatically helped overnight.

Play the waiting game along with the franchise, Warriors fans eagerly anticipate how they'll establish themselves in the years to come.