Golden State Warriors: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

Stephen Curry (Pick #7 in the 2009 NBA Draft)

Stephen Curry, the Baby-Faced Assassin, Chef Curry, Threezus, whatever you want to call him; since drafted into the league in 2009 out of Davidson College, Curry has shot himself into the discussion of the all-time greats.

A 6x All-Star, 6x All-NBA selection, 3x NBA Champion, and 2x MVP, Curry will go down as one of the best Golden State Warriors players of all-time, if not one of the best NBA players of all-time. In fact, ESPN recently ranked Steph as the 13th best NBA player of all-time, ahead of Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Jerry West and Karl Malone.

Curry’s abilities and style of play changed the game of basketball as we know it; he turned the NBA into a 3-point fest and influenced players to shoot more than ever. In the 2008-2009 NBA season, the year before the Warriors drafted Steph, NBA teams took 18.1 3-point shots a game, on average.

Now, 10 years after the arrival of the greatest shooter of all-time, NBA teams take an average of 33.9 3-point shots a game, nearly 40 percent of every field goal attempt. This drastic change is no doubt influenced in part by Curry.

And as the leading force to Golden State’s three NBA titles and five straight Finals appearances, Steph became the first unanimous MVP in league history in 2015-2016.

Though he lights up the stat sheet and entertains the crowds with his ridiculous handles, circus shots, and limitless range, his defensive stats are also worth noting: he averages 1.7 steals per game for his career, and he was the 2015-16 steals champion.

And at a height of 6’3”, with a lean 190 lbs frame and limited athleticism, his performance is all the more impressive.

Barring a devastating injury or career-ending ailment, Curry will crush the NBA all-time record for made 3-point field goals and unanimously go down as the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA.