LeBron recently had a rare foul-out against the Brooklyn Nets and now everyone is wondering what is wrong. The reigning NBA MVP is being accused of "coasting" as Heat have had an up and down few weeks to their season. His statistics are down this season, but the Heat are still winning physically. However, James admits mentally the team is not where they need to be.
The quest for a three-peat is a challenge and the Heat knew it would. Prior to the season starting, Floyd Mayweather Jr. spoke with the champs to discuss the challenges of constantly defending a title. James admits the grind of the season and the pressure to keep up the winning ways has taken their toll on the team.
"It's a long and grueling season for all of us, not just us because we're the champs," James said, via CBSSports.com. "We've played a lot of basketball in our four years together. It's taken a lot of wear and tear on all our bodies. It's mentally fatiguing. And you just try to find the motivation the best way you can as an individual and as a collective group."
Miami is winning, but something is certainly slightly off. Injuries have played their way through the starting lineup. James has been hit with ankle issue. Dwyane Wade sits out back-to-back games. Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier have both missed time. Numbers are down and while James says that is no excuse, he admits it is hard when three starters miss the same game.
"We're banged up right now," James said. "We're not an excuse team right now, but we've got three starters [out]. And even though we've got a lot of depth, it's hard to make up for three starters being out, so we could all use a break for sure."
James is constantly expected to bail his team out of tough situations. Sometimes that is easier said than done. His shot totals and shooting percentages are both down this season from where they were this time last year. According to ESPN, Kevin Durant is the early MVP favorite over James. ESPN's Tom Haberstroh reported that James admitted he was jealous of Durant's shot totals and is seeking to improve his dipping numbers.
The Heat might be taking things slow during the regular season considering what their normal standards are, but the motivation and consistency will appear in the playoffs just like it has the past two seasons.