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LeBron looking to spend more time in the post as playoffs approach

David Richard / USA TODAY Sports

As LeBron James prepares to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers into their first postseason since he left the franchise five years ago, he's looking to introduce a wrinkle to his game.

James says that once the playoffs begin, he plans to camp out in the post a lot more frequently, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. That's something he did quite a bit of during his time with the Miami Heat, but has largely abandoned in his first year back with the Cavaliers in favor of operating on the perimeter, typically as a pick-and-roll ballhandler. 

That hasn't necessarily been a bad thing – the Cavs have the league's fourth-ranked offense and best since the All-Star break – but James understands that adjustments are necessary in the slower, grind-it-out style of the postseason.

"(It’s a) shift of the mindset, that’s all," James said. "I understand what we’re about to face. I want to get a good feel for it."

He went on to describe the advantages, for him and his teammates, of him working out of the post.

"On the perimeter, you’re able to see more of the floor. (In the post) it’s better for me. The passes are a lot shorter. I was able to hit Timo(fey Mozgov) with a bounce pass for a dunk. I was able to spray a few out to our shooters.

"The floor shrinks a bit more so the passes are a lot shorter when they are coming from the post and not the perimeter."

Cavs head coach David Blatt is on board.

"I think we’ve posted up LeBron a fair bit this year," Blatt said. "But I sure like what he’s doing in the post. He’s going in there with conviction. He’s doing a great job scoring the ball and facilitating from that spot. That’s not where we want him all the time, but certainly we like to use it to our advantage." 

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