Stephen Curry may have been ground down by an illness that led to some underwhelming performances over the last two weeks, but through 14 games the veteran superstar has also outplayed two of the league's top players on a combined three occassions.
He might not finish top five or top 10 in MVP again, yet Curry continues to prove he can be the best player in the world on any given night. The Warriors have to realize this, understand they're never going to get this opportunity again, and give Curry the necessary support that isn't quite in place if this team wants to be a genuine championship contender.
Warriors have to prioritize Stephen Curry before it's too late
Victor Wembanyama might be the dominant force and the face of the NBA for the next decade, but it was Curry who emerged as the biggest star over back-to-back games in San Antonio. The Spurs have the sixth-best defense in the NBA to start the season, only for Curry to make a mockery of that with 95 combined points within 48 hours or so.
Wembanyama played incredibly well himself and has already risen into a top five player in the league in the mind of many. He's not the only superstar big man Curry has got the better of though less than a month into the season, with the 37-year-old going for 42 points and outplaying arguably the best player in the world, Nikola Jokic, to lead a thrilling overtime victory in the home opener.
Curry was a man possessed in his 49-point outburst on Friday, but he was also a lone figure for much of the second-half until some clutch shots from Gary Payton II and Brandin Podziemski. It looked for a long time like Curry's explosive performance was going to be in a losing effort, with Golden State scoring just 15 points in the 12 minutes where the 2x MVP was on the bench during the 109-108 victory.
The Warriors have already had some massive highs and some dispiriting lows already this season. It's the sort of up-and-down performances that suggest they can very much be a playoff team, but they don't yet belong in the top tier of contenders.
Friday's game, in particular, proved that not only can the Warriors (and everyone else) not take this version of Curry for granted, but that there's still an extra level of support he needs for the team to be good enough to capitalize again on his sheer greatness.
Whether that level of support is on the current roster is now a major question mark, leaving another truly fascinating period leading up to the mid-season trade deadline as the Warriors plot their next move to assist their greatest ever player.