maybe they should, ya know, actually practice. Last year after good practice time they shyt on teams, regardless of who they were. maybe this is why they're so disjointed.
By Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
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on January 14, 2016 at 12:21 PM, updated January 14, 2016 at 3:39 PM
SAN ANTONIO – For all the discussion and concern over how to manage the pounding on LeBron James' body throughout an NBA season, the Cavaliers' solution has been to practice less.
Not just James. All the Cavs.
If the San Antonio Spurs don't represent the toughest game to date for the Cavs tonight, then they're 1A behind Cleveland's Christmas matchup with Golden State. The Spurs have won nine straight, own the second-best record in the NBA (34-6) and haven't lost a regular-season home game since Cleveland beat them here March 12.
And, as with their six-point loss to the Warriors, the Cavs are heading into this one without having practiced the day before.
Cleveland has held two practices in January and one through the first nine days of this six-game, 11-day road trip. They've canceled three practices that were tentatively scheduled.
There weren't any immediate, comparable statistics available to measure the amount of times the Cavs have practiced this season compared with the last, but all are in agreement that it's less.
It's hard to find any tangible, negative effects: Cleveland's in first in the East and riding an eight-game winning streak.
"What we've done, we've used our film sessions and our shootarounds as practice and as long as we're working our mind as far as what we need to do to help our team get better, that's all that matters," James said, before the Cavs' morning shootaround to prepare for the Spurs.
Cleveland coach David Blatt controls the practice schedule. He didn't shrink the number of practices he holds specifically because of James – James said today he wished they could practice more – though keeping the Cavs' top player fresh is an obvious priority.
James' playing time has dipped to 35.9 minutes per game – a career low – but he's 31 with more than 44,000 regular and postseason minutes played and a back that occasionally bothers him. Yet the Cavs have only rested him for one game this season, while his production (25.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists) is roughly the same or a little ahead of where it was last year.
"I always try to just keep my body ready for whatever," James said. "And I've always looked at the schedule to see what days I can get work in. With us having limited practice time as a team, it hasn't stopped me from getting my work in on the floor anyways. So, either or, I'm fine with it."
Blatt said the primary reason to hold fewer practices has been the overall health of the team.
The Cavs were nicked up earlier in the season and had two key players – Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert – out until mid-December. Blatt said there is also more continuity and more of a veteran feel to this team than last season, though one could argue all the injuries disrupted the chance to build on the chemistry Cleveland began to develop last January.
"I've been conscious of the fact that we haven't been healthy," Blatt said. "That's really what it is. Knowing that the load was falling on a few guys as opposed to more guys being able to play and a deeper roster."
James' next 3-pointer will give him 1,300 for his career, making him the 13thactive player to sink that many treys.
One way to rest LeBron James is to practice less, which the Cavaliers have mastered this season
Clippers? OKC? please. Do you really believe that? I'll give the Spurs a chance against them but they're the team that has to fight to the WCF. GSW are a lock to be there, regardless of who they play to get there. 
This dude aint contributing positively at all.
These issues been here. There's no reason to panic. Its a long way till playoff time.
