Is Klay Thompson one of the 10 best players in the NBA? The question is packed with subjectivity and several unanswerable variables, but—after he set the basketball world aflame by nailing 11 three pointers in arguably the most significant NBA playoff game since the 2013 NBA Finals on Saturday night—its timing has never been better.

With all due respect to LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Thompson might be the best player in the 2015-16 playoffs. Without context, his numbers are mesmerizing: 71 made threes (J.R. Smith sits in second with 49), more points than everyone except Westbrook and Durant, a 60.2 True Shooting percentage and usage rate that’s 6.1 points higher than last year’s postseason.

But his true impact stretches beyond numerical evaluation. In addition to routinely dulling down the opposing team’s sharpest blade with versatile, disciplined defense, Thompson’s outside shot melts the other team’s psyche faster than a stick of butter that’s fallen into hell.

It doesn’t matter whether he’s off balance with a defender inside his jersey or 30 feet from the hoop with the shot clock winding down and his team’s 73-win season dangling dangerously close to the edge. Thompson doesn’t flinch. Short of Steph Curry, Reggie Miller or Ray Allen, nobody has ever possessed his combination of poise and accuracy behind the three-point line. Oh, and Thompson is only 26 years old.

Per SportVU, he’s 26-of-61 (42.6 percent) on threes launched when a defender is within four feet of his airspace this postseason. To say nothing of his gravitational pull and impact off the ball, the driving lanes he creates by hanging out in the corner or the looming threat he presents as a brilliant cutter, Thompson’s ability to make impossible shots look easy is obscene and unprecedented when the stakes are so high. (Curry shot 31.5 percent against similar defense during last year’s playoffs.)

But how good does that really make him?

There’s a long held belief (by me) that if Thompson filled James Harden’s shoes on the Houston Rockets, that team would be even worse than it already is. Thompson functions as an exclamation point within Golden State’s egalitarian system. He thrives off Draymond Green’s playmaking and the massive amount of attention opposing defenders dedicate to Curry.

Put him on a team that doesn’t have fantastic passing at the center position and his timely cuts become less of a factor, too. But too often (aka always) we judge players by what they’re asked to do within their team’s ecosystem, as opposed to what they’re potentially capable of outside it.

Thompson doesn’t directly create shots for teammates (he had zero assists in Game 6), but it was also once thought that he couldn’t take his man off the dribble and finish in traffic or get to the free-throw line. He hasn’t completely eliminated this skepticism in the playoffs, but, in those two particular areas, all cries of doubt have been reduced to a whisper.

That said, doubt is fair and welcome. The Warriors outscored their opponents by 0.6 points per 100 possessions when Thompson was on the floor without Curry during the regular season, but their offense still functioned more effectively than 23 other NBA teams with Thompson as the go-to option.

Maybe the Harden-for-Klay argument is bunk. If an intelligent general manager, like Daryl Morey, had to build his team around a player with Thompson’s skill-set, there’s a strong chance Houston would have a playmaking point guard and a center that’s more cerebral than physically imposing.

In other words, Thompson probably can be the best player on a pretty good team, but, as is the case with just about everyone in the league, context matters. His outside shot is a narrative-smashing weapon until the clock reads 0.0. He can create his own shot and score over just about any wing defender in the game.

When you factor in Thompson’s contract—the fact that he’s locked into his current non-max deal through 2019—it’s safe to say no player short of his own teammate (Green) is on a more team-friendly/valuable deal.

Seriously, take any other player in the league, his contract structure, age and compatibility, and what would it take for the Warriors to replace Thompson? Anthony Davis? Karl-Anthony Towns? Kawhi Leonard? Is there anybody else?

Thompson’s talent is irreplaceable. Nobody on Earth is a better shooter, short of his own teammate. But he can also guard multiple positions and rebound. And, best of all, he’s still improving.

The days when we all wondered if Golden State was foolish for not exchanging Thompson for Kevin Love feel ancient. Two years later, Love is a glorified role player. Klay is the bonafide superstar.