The Mavericks' Klay Thompson benefits from the space created by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving

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

Thompson has fit seamlessly into the Mavericks' offense, which is ranked 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 distance (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 generous space created by guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

“That’s what he does,” Kidd said before Tuesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. “He understands that if he has to put the ball on the floor, if he has to pump it wrong, but right now he's getting a lot of clean looks with the catch-and-shoot. Hopefully he's still in the top five all season long – after 50 games. That means the quarterbacks are doing a great job and he gets a lot of space.”

Minnesota coach Chris Finch also addressed Dallas' offense by moving Thompson into 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 unbelievable pick-and-roll game. Of course they have the Kyrie Iso game and now the off-ball game. They have become diverse, and every team needs to be. You can switch gears to move on to other things. It’s another weapon and you just have to try to hang on to it, which is a full-time job.”

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