LeBron James thinks he knows at least part of the reason for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ slow start.
James believes that some of his teammates are finding it difficult to stay motivated after three straight trips to the NBA Finals — and that may be fueling the team’s 3-5 start.
“I think that it’s going to be challenging on the guys that’s been here the last few years to continue to try to motivate themselves to want to get back to the Finals,” James said, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “That’s always the challenging thing. When you’ve done it three straight years, or some guys two straight years, then complacency can sometimes creep in, or the short summers or things of that nature, or you feel like you can turn it on when you want to.
“Got to figure out a way to motivate yourself to get back to that top level of game. I know where my mind is. I’ve done it seven straight years, so I know how to get back into the flow of things. I know how to mentally prepare myself for a long haul, so it’s going to be challenging, but I think we should be up for it. We still have a 30-point scorer, All-Star point guard that’s coming soon. That’s exciting.”
This reads somewhat like an indictment of James’s teammates early in the season, which will be worrisome for Cleveland — especially with the potential of free agency looming. James still sounds confident, but if the Cavaliers aren’t winning now, he might not stick around.
