NBA Star Power Index: Stephen Curry early MVP leader, Ja Morant enters conversation; Carmelo the Lakers savior

Also, Kevin Durant is acing the toughest test of his career

Welcome back to NBA Star Power Index: A weekly gauge of the players who are most controlling the buzz around the league. Inclusion on this list isn't necessarily a good thing. It simply means you're capturing the NBA world's attention. This is also not a ranking. The players listed are in no particular order as it pertains to the buzz they're generating. This column will run every week throughout the regular season. 

Curry became the first player this season to score 50 points in a game, lighting up the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night as the Golden State Warriors improved to an NBA-best 9-1. It was the first time in Curry's career that he posted 50 points and 10 assists in the same game as he unseated Wilt Chamberlain as the oldest player in history to put up that single-game line. 

Curry came into the Atlanta game having been held to 20 or fewer points in four consecutive games for the first time since 2014, and his shooting, by his historic standards, has been relatively sporadic. Still, he's the early leader in the MVP race. As of Tuesday, Caesars Sportsbook had him at +325 to win the award, followed by Kevin Durant at +600 and Giannis Antetokounmpo at +650.