Some time off would do LeBron good

He simply won’t concede it publicly because it is considered an excuse or a challenge to his manhood, but LeBron James is tired.

He has told those close to him that his energy level is down, that he’s getting fatigued quicker during the past several weeks. He didn’t really need to say so; it is obvious to all the fans he has won over with his dominating play.

James doesn’t have the same spring in his legs or strength, especially late in games. The stats – 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists – are still great. That’s a testament to his talent and overall skill, sort of like when Tiger Woods finishes fifth in a tournament in which he’s fighting his swing.

This was supposed to be the season that James laid claim to the Most Valuable Player Award. Right now, he’s playing like an All-Star, to be sure, but not playing at the MVP level that he showed in the second half of last season.

Cavaliers officials know it, and they’ve been worried about it since he reported to training camp. Coach Mike Brown reduced his preseason workload, trying to stave off what is happening now. But it was too late: the postseason run plus the extended training camp for Team USA plus the exhibition games in China plus the two-week long World Championships in Japan had taken their toll.

There are several measures that need to be implemented to give James a break. First off, the Cavs probably need to start giving him some practice days off. Brown has lightened his load already, sitting him out of part of practices. He needs to run up and down the floor as few times as possible.

In a perfect world, James probably could use a week off to jump-start him. The Cavs simply can’t afford it, so they have to find other ways. Brown has successfully reduced James’ minutes through the first 22 games, but it hasn’t been enough.

Secondly, James needs to start thinking about taking next summer off. He made a three-year commitment to USA Basketball, and Team USA has to finish first or second in the qualifying tournament in August in Las Vegas. But there’s got to be some realism here. Already Miami Heat coach Pat Riley has asked Dwyane Wade to consider skipping playing next summer for the same reasons.

There’s no reason why James can’t be around the team and maybe even take part in some practices, but he’ll really need the rest by then, and it will only pay off down the road, especially when Team USA tries for gold in Beijing in 2008.

Perhaps James will catch a second wind and return to the top of his game, maybe sooner rather than later. Knowing his history, it’s probably a safe bet.

That doesn’t overcome the lesson being learned now: he’s not invincible.

Dribbles

In general, the Cavs organization is mild-mannered, from General Manager Danny Ferry on down. But that was not the case after the loss last Monday night in Oklahoma City.

Team officials were not pleased when Tyson Chandler’s fourth quarter mid-air collision with James was not considered a foul. They asked the NBA office to review the play.

The outcome of that play might have cost the Cavs that game, but that is not what concerned the team. The goal is to protect James and to nip any sign of roughhousing him and getting away with it, as Chandler appeared to do.

•This early in the season, it is always important to look at the variance between team’s home and away games. An alternate way to look at the standings and to add perspective is to compare home losses and road wins. As the season goes along, teams with the larger positive gaps between road wins and home losses historically prove to be the best by the end.

For example, the Cavs have two home losses and three road wins, giving them a plus-one. Any team with a positive number is in good shape, and the greater the better.

Looking at things this way shows just how much of the Cavs’ early-season success has been based on their success at home.

•Lenny Wilkens has coached the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks since leaving the Cavs and is now working in the front office of the Seattle SuperSonics.

Despite all that time with those franchises, it is pretty clear that he still is not over what happened nearly 20 years ago in Cleveland. Last week when he was in town, Wilkens was asked if he thought that James was the type of star that was missing from his Cavs teams.

“I thought we had that type of player in Ron Harper, if we don’t trade him, I’m convinced we would’ve won a title here,” Wilkens said.

“That was the type of player we were missing.”