LeBron James has clearly turned it up since the Cleveland Cavaliers front office completed a roster overhaul, bringing in a key veteran in George Hill and three young pieces to help rejuvenate the Cavs.
The King has averaged 30.4 points on 59.8 percent shooting, 9.8 rebounds, and 12 assists per game in his last five contests, including earning an All-Star MVP for the first time in 10 years — showing clearly a new sense of motivation.
A reporter recently suggested that James had been visibly more excited and tuned-in since the shake-up of this team at the trade deadline, but James didn’t hesitate to shoot that notion down.
“I don’t agree with that,” James said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“I just think that I re-focused myself,” he added after the Cavs’ loss to the Washington Wizards, which snapped a four-game winning streak the team took into the break. “Before the deadline happened, before the trades happened, I re-focused myself to understand that I’m the leader of this team and I have to be mentally sharp and mentally strong throughout anything.”
James has been nothing short of outstanding since the trade took place, and regardless of the origin of this motivation, the Cavs front office is glad he has stepped up his game to lead these new players by example and make chemistry-building a faster process than usual.
Seven games out of the top seed in the East and with only 25 games after a 110-103 loss to the Wizards, the Cavs will need every win they can get if they hope to garner the No. 1 spot by the end of the season.