LeBron James Calls Out His Team's 'Toughness' Following Loss to Nuggets

LeBron James wasn’t happy with the way his team played against the Nuggets on Wednesday night.

LeBron James grimaces during a game against the Nuggets.
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Image via USA TODAY Sports/Chris Humphreys

LeBron James grimaces during a game against the Nuggets.

The Cavaliers lost to the Nuggets on Wednesday night, and they looked pretty bad doing it. Denver scored 73 points in the first half en route to a 126-113 win and finished the game shooting 53 percent from the field and 42 percent from behind the three-point line. It’s clear the team needs to improve on the defensive side of the ball, as they are currently 22nd in the NBA in defensive efficiency according to ESPN. And with just 12 games to go before the start of the NBA Playoffs, they don’t have much time to get it together.

LeBron James thinks the solution to his team's problem is actually pretty simple, though. He spoke with reporters after the game in Denver and said that he thinks the team needs to get tougher if they’re going to make another deep postseason run this spring.

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"It ain’t about a group. It’s about individuals," he said. "We’ve got to be more, just do more. It ain’t about no group. You can’t preach toughness. You’ve got to have it."

At the same time, LeBron took a look in the mirror and admitted that he needs to do a better job on defense. But he also said that toughness isn’t something that’s an issue for him.

"Personally? I had opportunities where I could have been better," he said. "Um, one thing about it: I always bring toughness to the game. I know that. That’s for sure."

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue echoed LeBron’s sentiments and said that toughness is something the Cavaliers are going to need to develop—quickly—as they inch closer towards the playoffs.

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"They came and just kicked our butt in every facet of the game," he said, referencing the Nuggets. "Coaches, we got to be better, but players, they got to be better, too. They got to be tougher. Got to [have] more urgency, and it comes from all of us. They got 3-point shots, they got points in the paint, they got offensive rebounds. They got, I mean, whatever they wanted. And we got to be better than that. It starts with the coaches, but the players got to look at themselves in the mirror, too. They got to be more physical, they got to bring a physical presence, and they’ve got to take pride in guarding their man."

The Cavs return to the court on Friday with a road game against the Hornets before returning home for a game on Saturday against the Wizards. They currently hold just a one-game lead over the Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, so if they’re going to suddenly develop a tougher approach to games, now would be the time for them to do it.

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