MINNEAPOLIS -- With bags of ice wrapped around both of his knees, LeBron James toed the three-point arc inside a Minneapolis health club Thursday and called for the ball.

“Let me see that ball,” James said. “Let me see if I still got it.”

Swish.

James then turned and smirked at a few reporters covering the Heat’s optional practice session between road games against Charlotte and Minnesota.

“What?” James said rhetorically, opening his arms in a playful gesture. “I still got my trademark.”

Minutes earlier, James had been explaining the reason why he has just as many three-point attempts this season — zero — as center Joel Anthony. In the Heat’s first three games, neither James nor Dwyane Wade has attempted a three-pointer. The Heat (3-0) plays the Timberwolves (0-2) at 8p.m. Friday. Chances are good that James and Wade’s interesting streak will continue inside Target Center.

“I’m just trying to focus on being in the paint and get to the free-throw line,” James said.

The same goes for Wade. So far, the Heat’s superstar perimeter players have shifted their efforts exclusively inside the three-point arc, choosing high-percentage plays over long-distance shots. The surprising lack of three-point statistics for James and Wade is part of a larger plan by Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to be more aggressive inside the paint.

At times last season, James’ penchant for launching three-point attempts early in a possession disrupted the Heat’s rhythm. Those so-called heat checks used to make Spoelstra cringe. Apparently, they’re a thing of the past.

“We have enough three-point shooters on our team,” James said, acknowledging that he’s not one of them.

Three games into the new season, Spoelstra’s strategic move is paying early dividends for James and the Heat. The team is undefeated and James is shooting 58.9 percent from the field. Entering this season, James’ career field-goal percentage was 47.9.

So committed to the new approach is James that he said Thursday he no longer works on his three-point shooting on a day-to-day basis. James is a career 35 percent shooter from three-point range and averaged 374.7 three-point attempts in his first seven seasons in the NBA.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to go a whole season without shooting a three,” said James, indicating the thought has crossed his mind. “It’ll be those games where you’re feeling really good and shooting the ball extremely well.”

James’ career low for three-point attempts (217) came in his rookie season. Combine the shortened season with his new focus and James probably will set a new low this season.

In place of his three-point attempts, James is 32 of37 from the free-throw line. He opened the season with a statement game, going 15 of 19 from the free-throw line against the Mavericks. “This is the new King James,” read the stat sheet. The Regal One went 8 of 9 from the free-throw line against Boston and was 9 of 9 against Charlotte. Wade, who struggled against Charlotte on Wednesday and didn’t attempt a free throw, is 12 of 16 from the free-throw line.

James said he hasn’t abandoned the three-point shot altogether.

“I didn’t come into the season saying I’m not going to take any threes,” James said. “It’s just played out that way and it’s worked out so far.”

Still, it’s interesting in this new season to note that Chris Bosh, who is 1 of1 from three-point range, has attempted a shot from that distance while James and Wade have not. As a team, the Heat is an efficient 11 of 23 from three-point range entering Friday’s game.

“It just shows the diversity of this team,” Bosh said. “[James and Wade] always know that the three ball is going to be there for them and they can take it anytime they want to.

“But them getting down into that post, being aggressive, getting to the line and drawing fouls, I think, is good for the team.”