CLEVELAND -- Despite there being three weeks left in the regular season, Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James already has begun his preparations for the playoffs.
Raising a stir earlier in the week when he unfollowed the Cavaliers’ team Twitter account, as well as the accounts of several Cleveland reporters, James is beginning his social media blackout period in an effort to focus on leading the franchise into the postseason.
“I have a little bit sooner than normal, but I understand it’s right around the corner and I want to start mentally preparing myself for the distance,” James said after a recent practice. “Mentally, I’m just being a little more sharp-minded as of late, just gearing toward the understanding that it’s right around the corner and it’s going to be very, very challenging.”
The added focus and mental preparation seemed to do wonders for the Cavaliers against the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. James came out shooting and scored 17 first-quarter points, and after the Nuggets overcame a 15-point deficit, he keyed a 68-point second half to earn a 124-91 win, which helped clinch the Central Division championship, as well as the franchise’s ninth 50-win season.
James knocked down 12 of his 19 attempts from the field and eight of his 11 tries from the free-throw line in scoring the 33 points, and he finished the game not only with a plus-38 rating, but also, the 41st triple-double of his career with 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the Nuggets.
“If he is going through something, the way he played, I hope he continues to play that way,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said. “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him about that. His demeanor has been more serious. He’s been more locked in, which I’ll take. With what we’re trying to do moving forward, if that’s what it takes for him to get focused and get this team on track, I’ll take it.”
James enters tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets averaging 24.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game for the Central Division-champion Cavaliers.
Able to stay healthy for the majority of the season, James is anxious to continue building positive momentum toward the postseason.
“I just feel much better than I did last year,” James said. “My body has responded well to some of the changes that I’ve made, and I’ve been able to be available on the floor. Last year, I missed a career high in games in a season and I didn’t like that personally. So, I just went back to the basics, changed some things in my body, and I’ve been able to be out on the floor for the majority of the season.
“I work on my game every, single day. I think about the game every day, and my teammates gave me an opportunity to showcase that and I was able to come through for them. I just try to do a little bit of everything to help our team win, and hopefully, I can continue that.
“Every individual is different. I know what suits me. I know I’m able to play in different demeanors. I can do that. When the time feels right, I’m able to change from one demeanor to the next, get the most out of my ability and try to get the most out of my teammates.”
