CLEVELAND -- LeBron James knows a thing or two about preparing for the postseason.
Having led the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers to five consecutive NBA Finals, James knows when it is time to kick things into another gear, and over the five games he’s played in the month of April, he has averaged 28.8 points a night, by far his highest output for a month throughout the entire season.
“It’s just a mind switch, just a mind switch, focusing and dialing in more on what needed to be done to help us get better, for me to get better,” James said after Monday’s 109-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks. “I’ve been in this league a long time. I know what I need to do for my game to be even more sharp, so I’m glad I was able to deliver, not just talk about it, be able to deliver for my teammates because that’s what means more to me than anything.
“It’s just a feeling, just a feeling. There’s not a game. It’s not a time of the month. It’s just a feeling, and I know it. I know when the switch for me needs to be turned, and I was able to do that at the right time.”
In an average of 36.8 minutes per game, James has scored 144 points, pulled down 42 rebounds, handed out 39 assists, blocked four shots and stolen seven passes while shooting 65.6 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from three-point range.
“I’m just getting in the gym, watching film, looking at it mechanically, seeing things I can change, just being on-balance. I’ve changed a couple things from the perimeter as far as my shot, changed my free-throw stance a little bit more. I’m not a big golfer, but I can understand sometimes when those guys change their swings and they maybe even change their golf clubs. They feel like just one little switch can get them to drive that ball 400 instead of 360. That’s the way I felt.
“I’m just in a good rhythm. I’m blessed to play with a great group of guys that allow me to go out and put pressure on the defense, take what I want and when you dedicate yourself to the gym, you dedicate yourself to a work ethic, then you are able to live with whatever the result is, and so, for me, it’s easy money because I know how much work I put into it.”
In addition to leading the Cavaliers to four wins in his last five outings, James’ recent performances have impressed his coach, Tyronn Lue.
“I don’t know, but I hope he can keep it up,” Lue said. “If he plays like this, we’re going to be tough to beat, and he’s just taken it to a whole other level in these last three or four weeks, playing at a high level, shooting the ball very well, shooting it with confidence, and also, getting to the basket. I like the LeBron I see right now.”
Fortunately for Lue and the Cavaliers, James plans on carrying his recent level of production into the postseason, which gets underway against the Detroit Pistons this weekend.
“I’m in that mode right now,” James said, “but as far as locking in on my individual opponent, it’ll even get deeper because I understand I’ve got to face that guy and that team at least four times, so as far as that personal vendetta that I have versus my opponents in the postseason, that will ratchet up a little bit more, but as far as me, personally, I’m where I want to be.”
