MINNEAPOLIS – Klay Thompson led the NBA in catch-and-shoot field goal attempts last season with the Golden State Warriors and he’s on track to do the same in a Dallas Mavericks uniform.

Thompson fits seamlessly into the Mavericks’ offense, which ranks 15th in the NBA after three games. He leads the NBA in catch-and-shoot attempts with 9.3 per game. He is averaging 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals on 45% shooting from beyond the arc (15 of 33).

It’s only been three games and despite the small sample size, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd attributed Thompson’s early success to the abundance of space created by guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

“That’s what he does,” Kidd said prior to Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “He understands if he has to put the ball on the ground, if he has to pump fake, but right now he’s getting a lot of clean looks with the catch-and-shoot. Hopefully he will still be in the top five all season – after fifty games. That means the quarterbacks are doing a great job and he’s getting a lot of space.”

Minnesota coach Chris Finch also discussed Dallas’ offense as Thompson joined the backcourt of Doncic and Irving.

“It’s not about creativity, it’s about choosing what you want to do,” Finch said. “With Dallas, they have an incredible pick-and-roll game. Of course they have the Kyrie-iso game and now they have the off-ball game. They have become versatile, and that is what every team should be. They can switch to go to different things. It’s another weapon and you just have to try to stay attached to him, which is a full-time job.

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.