From 2015-19, Steph Curry made third quarters his personal playground. Teams often expended themselves early to keep pace and Curry took advantage of that fatigue out of halftime. During those five regular seasons, he scored 20-plus points in a quarter 24 times and 15 of those outbursts came in the third. The Chef did his best work after settling in. However, through 10 games of the 2021-22 season, Curry’s cooking has been its finest the moment he steps into the kitchen. The Warriors superstar has been more aggressive than ever in the first quarter and it is a significant reason why Golden State is off to its NBA-best 9-1 start.
On Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks, Curry set the tone by scoring the Warriors’ first 13 points. His immediate aggression kept the game level before going on he eventually reached the half-century mark in points. After the game, Curry partially attributed his supernova performance to “timely words of wisdom” from assistant coach Bruce Fraser. Yet, it took Curry no time at all to light up the Hawks. He hoisted five shots (making four of them) within the first two minutes of the game. The bigger question is: Has Fraser been in Curry’s ear before each game this season?
Through 10 games, Curry is averaging nearly 11 points with a 73.6 true shooting percentage in the first quarter. Despite having played slightly more minutes in the third quarter (112) than first (108), Curry has taken more shots in the opening quarter than at any other point in the game. It is not uncommon to see Curry obliterate defenses, but he picked his spots more in the past. During the regular season of the Warriors title runs, his best quarter was the third. According to Stathead.com, he averaged 8.9 points on 48 percent shooting. Now, Curry is hunting his shot earlier than ever. The results have been staggering.
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Curry’s quick assaults started in the second game of the season, when he hung 25 first-quarter points on the Los Angeles Clippers. Curry joined his soon-to-be-again Splash Brother in crime Klay Thompson as the only players in league history to score 25 points in a quarter, with five 3-pointers, and zero misses. However, he has not been perfect. Curry had a couple of clunkers – against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets – during this homestand. Yet, he only took five combined shots in the first quarters of those games. In his other eight games, Curry has launched at least seven field goal attempts, scoring double-digits in six opening periods. When he decides to attack straight off the rip, it has been equally effective as entertaining. Last season, many clamored for Curry to be more assertive because the team needed him to shoulder the scoring load. After the All-Star break, he scored nearly 35 points per game and has carried that mentality into this season.
The rest of the team seems to be feeding off of it too. As of Wednesday, the Warriors lead the NBA with a +13.3 net rating. A staunch defense deserves credit, but so does the 32.7 points per first quarter, best in the league. The Warriors have played ahead of teams for much of the young season and have looked comfortable doing so. A year ago, aggression meant taking the first open shot because finding another was difficult. Now, the Warriors are casting without hesitation because they create quality looks on the majority of possessions.
Curry’s shot-making ability has always been infectious. However, in prior years he dominated by letting the game come to him. Currently, Curry is putting his fingerprints on the game as soon as it begins. Ten games is a small sample size, but his strong starts have only helped the Warriors. Whether his aggression is purposeful or coincidental makes no difference. Curry’s first-quarter flurries have been a joy and the team has flourished. Just make sure you get to your seats before tip-off or you may miss the best part of the show.
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