The Golden State Warriors are off to a scorching hot 9-1 start to the 2021-22 NBA season, exceeding all expectations. All of this has made for an interesting Stephen Curry MVP case, but more on that in a second.

Several analysts believe that it would take some time for this Warriors squad to fully mesh and start winning. Not to mention that the team is still awaiting the return of Klay Thompson. However, their stellar win-loss record is good proof that Steve Kerr has finally figured things out once again. Apart from the head coach's genius, there's one obvious element to the team's success. It's none other than the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry. He's so good so far that he's en route to winning his third Most Valuable Player trophy.

Stephen Curry MVP Case

3. He's still in his prime

For some odd reason, Stephen Curry haters thought his career was done after he injured his hand in the 2019-20 NBA season. This spiraled into a not-so-good season for the Warriors — another detail that haters turned into ammunition. However, Curry hushed these critics last season when he led the league in scoring. Never mind that the Warriors failed to make the playoffs. The Warriors simply did not have the proper pieces at that point. But there's no question that in the 2020-21 NBA season, Curry proved to everyone that he still has a ton left in the tank.

Besides, Curry's game doesn't hinge on his athletic gifts. There was never a point in his career where he was dunking over taller defenders or outpacing his fellow guards. Rather, Curry utilizes his handles and deadly shooting stroke to the max. Whereas some superstars decline over the years because their athleticism withers, Curry's shooting will stay with him up until he retires. And even after he bids goodbye, there's no question he can still swish the net better than anyone.

2. Warriors offense (still) revolves Stephen Curry

The NBA is a star-driven league. In a sense that there's at least one player in every NBA team who carries his entire squad to victories. In this era, the likes of LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, James Harden, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic come to mind. These players do most of the scoring and playmaking for their squad. As such, they need the ball in their hands to be able to maximize their abilities. Curry belongs in the same category as he's a terrific three-level scorer and playmaker. At the same time, he stands out from the aforementioned stars because he can also be a lethal threat even without the ball in his hands.

There's been a lot of discussion going on what exactly makes Stephen Curry so good. His shooting comes first in such conversations. The second is how he never stops moving without the ball, something that requires a lot of stamina. As such, defenses have always to be on their toes whenever Curry is on the floor. If he passes the ball, this doesn't make him less of a threat.

Steve Kerr has done a great job in creating an offensive system that exploits Curry's skills. So much so that the two-time MVP can collapse defenses simply by running around the floor. This trickles on over to all sorts of opportunities for his teammates. This effectively makes Curry the most valuable player on his team.

1. Surprise narrative

Apart from a player's statistics and his team's win-loss record, the overall narrative also plays a key part if he is heralded MVP. We have to wait later on in the season to get a fuller view of Curry and the Warriors' main arc. At this point, we can say that the Warriors basically caught everyone by surprise with their domineering start. Some expected the Warriors to slowly get back to their winning ways only after Klay Thompson's return.

They felt that the current roster is still weak and needs more time together to work. In a way, critics underestimated the Warriors' system and Curry's inherent abilities. As discussed above, the man is still in his prime. The organization has done a great job in acquiring players who can immediately cope with Kerr's sophisticated offensive system.

We cannot discount the fact the other players in the Warriors also possess great narratives in themselves. Andrew Wiggins, for example, is finally living up to his first overall pick tag. He's been so good for the Warriors this season. The likes of Gary Payton III, Otto Porter, Nemanja Bjelica, too, have interesting narratives that will be unveiled slowly as the season progresses. All these elements will blend in with Curry's arc. And the happy ending is usually a championship. But another Stephen Curry MVP plum is welcome, too.