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OAKLAND, Calif. -- In the hectic opening minutes of the 2017 NBA Finals, which felt more like bumper cars than basketball, Stephen Curry missed his first two open 3-pointers. Meanwhile, LeBron James raced out to double figures, pacing the Cavaliers to a start that gave them hope of a better outcome than most experts had predicted coming into The Trilogy.

Within minutes, the Curry bashing began:

And then something -- something that didn't happen a year ago -- happened: Curry shot the heck out of the ball, extinguishing a false narrative. It wasn't the shooting sleeve, which Curry discarded in the early going. It wasn't a matter of shaking off the rust after a 10-day layover. It wasn't a matter of Curry getting over nerves. It was a matter of Steph Curry being Steph Curry, the greatest shooter in the history of mankind. 

Steph Curry happened.

In the Warriors' 113-91 Game 1 rout over the Cavaliers on Thursday, Curry finally gave us the Finals performance he deserved. A year after slogging through seven games on one leg, Curry played up to his full potential. As a result, the Cavaliers flatlined:

A year ago, Curry averaged 22.6 points per game on 40 percent shooting during the seven-game series. On Thursday, he recovered from his early rough start, pouring in 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-11 from deep. 

He hit a deep pull-up 3 in LeBron's face.

He sneaked a stealthy, across-the-court pass past an apparently sleepy LeBron.

Don't overlook his 10 assists too. Or his defensive intensity. He forced a steal under his own hoop, which led to a Warriors' transition bucket. He managed to generate a turnover when he was seated on the ground. Draymond Green, the best defensive player in the game, took notice. 

From Green's postgame presser:

Q: "They had a lot of success in the last series running pick-and-roll at Stephen Curry. It looked like you guys did a better job on that this time. Why were you able to do better?"

Green: "Steph took it personal. His shows were great. His defense was amazing. And if he -- when he takes it personal like that and he accepts the challenge, we're a damn good defensive team."

Curry snagged a gutsy offensive rebound that led to a Warriors basket. And yes, he hit more pull-up 3s.

He even showcased a new and, quite frankly, strange celebration.

A year ago, Curry couldn't beat overmatched defenders off the dribble in isolation. Kevin Love's defining Finals moment is shutting down Curry in the final minute of Game 7. 

This year, Curry can. Tristan Thompson's defining moment definitely won't be the defense he played on Curry in the first half.

To be clear, the Warriors won on Thursday because they have Durant -- not Harrison Barnes -- running the floor with Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. When the Warriors' offense isn't humming, they can simply select the "Kevin Durant do something" play. It's a pretty solid contingency plan. Durant was the Warriors' best player on both ends of the court. He defended LeBron the best anyone can and led the team with 38 points on 14-of-26 shooting. He nearly ended the world with a few hammering dunks in transition. 

Durant is still the biggest difference from last year and it's why most envision the Warriors stealing back the crown. But this year's series also feels light years different than last year's because Curry is his full self, not a fraction of himself. It's simple: When Curry is operating at his peak, the Warriors rarely lose. 

Maybe the Cavaliers will find a way to bother Curry during the remainder of the series. Maybe Curry will join his fellow Splash Brother, Thompson, and go cold. There's no way to know what will follow in the days to come. But what we do know is that Curry will get the chance to cement his postseason legacy. It's a chance he deserves.

Feel free to bemoan the fact that the Warriors obliterated the Cavaliers in the first installment of what some are expecting to be an all-time classic series. Feel free to hate that the Warriors are so good, they might be in the process of rendering a LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love team unworthy. Feel free to long for a competitive series. 

But what nobody should want is a star like Curry being reduced to a shell of himself. Curry deserves to demonstrate on the biggest stage that it's not too big for him. A glob of sweat, a slippery floor, and a freak injury last year gave Curry that unfair narrative. He never got the chance to follow up his historic MVP regular season with an MVP-worthy playoff run.

He's finally getting that chance. So far, so good.