INDEPENDENCE: Cavaliers forward LeBron James has flipped the switch to playoff mode.
“I have, a little bit sooner than normal, but you know I understand that it’s right around the corner and I want to start mentally preparing myself for the distance,” he said.
James provided a taste of that Monday night when the Cavs throttled the Denver Nuggets 124-91 at Quicken Loans Arena. James posted his second triple-double of the season with 33 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.
“So, mentally, I’m just being a little more sharper minded as of late, just gearing toward it,” James said. “Understanding that it’s right around the corner and it’s going to be very, very challenging.”
Letting the world know that he’s switching into a mindset for the postseason is nothing new for James. He did so via Twitter last year just prior to the playoffs. And it had its desired effect, as the injury riddled Cavs came within two wins of claiming an NBA title.
James’ musings on social media platforms recently have created waves of speculation but it could come down to just doing things that work for him.
“Every individual is different,” he said. “I know what suits me. I know I’m able to play with different demeanors. I can do that. When the time feels right, I’m able to change from one demeanor to the next to get the most out of my ability and try to get the most out of my teammates. But it depends on who you are.”
With that change to playoff mode comes assorted changes for him He said that he becomes more detail oriented because it’s easier to scout a team for a playoff series as opposed to a single game with one day of prep.
“It gives our team and the teams that I’ve been on an opportunity to lock in even more,” James said.
Coach Tyronn Lue didn’t offer any insight into what’s going on with James, he’s only seen results in the form of his performance against the Nuggets.
“If he is going through something, the way he played last night, I hope he continues to play that way. I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him about that,” Lue said. “His demeanor has been more serious, more locked in, which I will take. What we’re trying to do moving forward, if that’s what it takes for him to get focused and get the team on track then I will take it.”
Consistent focus
With a dozen regular season games remaining, the Cavs’ focus continues to be defensive consistency. They held the Nuggets to 40 percent shooting Monday night, but the Miami Heat shot 55 percent from the floor and had 16 more rebounds than the Cavs on Saturday.
After that loss, Lue said that he wanted to simplify the team’s defense. A single game doesn’t provide reason to celebrate, only consistency in that area in the season’s final weeks will, but the coach noticed a difference.
“I thought the players had a chance to play without playing in thought. I thought they just executed and they looked comfortable doing it and that’s what we’ve always done,” he said. “We just took all the guesswork out so that way we could play free and fast. I thought our guys did a good job of doing that [Monday night].”
James said the defensive slippage was noticeable and the coaching staff held the team more accountable and the players have keyed in on it.
“Well, I think we’ve been able to focus on that but we have to focus on all facets of the game,” James said. “It’s almost like a football analogy, you’ve got to win at all three facets: offensively, defensively and special teams. You have to be very good in all three because you need all of them. So, we’ve got to continue to get better. We have to be great at all of them.”
Williams returning
Mo Williams practiced with the team for the first time in several weeks Tuesday afternoon. Lue said that it went well for the veteran point guard, who’d been sidelined with knee soreness.
“He did a good job,” Lue said. “[I’m] talking to the training staff about Mo and hopefully, I think he’d be available for New York. That’s what we’re hoping, so he’s come along really well.”
Williams will likely return to action on the team’s upcoming road trip against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday or against the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Love back
Forward Kevin Love, who sat out the game against the Nuggets, will be ready to go Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. Love took some extra shots after practice at the Cleveland Clinic Courts on Tuesday afternoon.
George M. Thomas can be reached at gmthomas@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GeorgeThomasABJ.