Steph Curry Is Quietly Crushing Everyone to Start 2018-19 Season

OAKLAND -- Keep it quiet, for we're only eight days into the NBA season and Stephen Curry doesn't mind the silence.

Let him do this in peace.

So, please, discuss how happy the Warriors are with Damian Jones' start to his nascent NBA career, the 7-footer trying to prove he belongs.

Waste time worrying, if you must, about Klay Thompson missing 3-pointers he'll be splashing any minute now, maybe as soon as Wednesday night against the Wizards.

Keep reheating the topic of Kevin Durant's future or updating DeMarcus Cousins' rehab or debating how much playing time should go to Jordan Bell.

One more thing: Congratulate Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic on being named this season's first Western Conference Player of the Week.

But by all means take your time examining Curry, who has opened this season by subtly demolishing every defense he sees.

It was two weeks ago that Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area that he thought his single-season record for 3-pointers was safe, at least for now, even as teams hoist up more 3-balls than ever. Getting to 402 requires so many significant factors to go well, he said. Has to be the right team, the right time and the right circumstances.

So how does Curry start the season? By averaging 30.5 points while making 22 3-pointers in four games -- a league record for the first four games.

He averaged 5.3 triples a game in 2015-16, when he set the record. He's averaging 5.5 so far this season, a pace that over 82 games puts him at 451. That specific pace means less than this one: Curry is averaging a career-high 11.7 3-point shots per game. That will put him at about 962 attempts, 76 more than he launched in setting the record three seasons ago.

Moreover, Curry is shooting 46.7 percent from beyond the arc -- and doing it when neither Kevin Durant nor Klay Thompson has gotten warm enough to spread the defense. Curry is responsible for 57.9 percent of the team's 3-point makes.

"Everything is geared toward the offense right now," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said late Monday night. "The league is in a good place with a lot of talent and people are able to show their talent and that's a good thing."

As much as Kerr can say he doesn't want his players hunting 3-pointers, and that there is no goal for the number of attempts beyond the arc, he also encourages them to fire away whenever the shot is there. This is particularly true for Curry, Durant and Thompson.

While Durant and Thompson have not found their rhythm with deep shots, Curry is filling the void. And once his teammates get going, it's not as if Curry will stop firing those 25-footers.

It is, after all, a short leap from taking an average of 9.9 3-pointers last season and the 11 or so that, if he stays healthy, would put him in position break his record.

"I'm just trying to play strong, play efficient and consistent," Curry told our Kerith Burke. "You don't know how you're going to get it, just keep your foot on the gas pedal, try to play-make and use the guys around me and try to make them better."

His timing is good. While teammate Draymond Green has no love for the new points of emphasis dictated to NBA officials -- designed in part to give offensive players greater freedom of movement -- Curry is practically giggling inside.

No, he's really, really enjoying this direction because overall scoring is up, and much of the uptick is through production of 3-point shots.

"I don't know if that's the way it's officiated or if teams are stacking rosters with faster and more versatile guys, for more consistent parts of the game," he said. "I really don't know exactly what the cause is, but it's great for the offensive-minded guys."

Curry paused ever so briefly and then accentuated his comments with a wink. Couldn't resist. Not that he should.

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