MVP race is on LeBron's mind

ByBRIAN WINDHORST
February 26, 2015, 12:10 PM

— -- LeBron James has given the quote so often that it has become almost mindless: He doesn't focus on individual accolades because they come only with team success.

Versions of it have piled up over the seasons, often stemming from the annual moments when James is asked about the MVP award. It's one of those tricky statements that can be defined as accurate but not true.

James does care about team success first, but he also cares deeply about individual awards. That includes right now and the developing MVP race. He has been privately wondering why he's not more involved in the national conversation on the matter, considering his play in the past quarter of the season.

While much of his attention has been on the Cavs' dramatic turnaround -- 17 wins in 19 games -- the four-time Podoloff Trophy winner has been considering what his chances at a fifth might be. James has either won the MVP or finished in the top three of the voting in each of the past six years, yet sportsbooks currently have him as an underdog.

There are a few reasons why James' case is weaker this season than in years past and why he's generally viewed as currently being on the outside. But for him to really get into the race -- which James surely wants, whether he articulates it publicly or not -- an opportunity is coming the next few days.

The Cavs host the Golden State Warriors and MVP candidate Stephen Curry on Thursday -- James was out with injury when the teams played last month -- and on Sunday they visit the Houston Rockets and candidate James Harden. If James is going to change the conversation, this is his chance.

The reality at this point in James' career is that he doesn't so much compete with his peers but with himself. Whether it is fair or not, when evaluating James, he is competing against his past MVP seasons. And this season, by that measurement, he does not rate as well.

By the cold numbers, James is having a "down" statistical season -- 25.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 49 percent, with a 25.4 PER. Rather impressive, but all told, this is probably James' lowest across-the-board output since his rookie season. His shooting numbers are the lowest they have been in six seasons, and he is committing a career-high 4.3 turnovers per game, second-worst in the league behind DeMarcus Cousins.

Those previous seasons -- at one point James led the NBA in PER for six straight years -- technically don't mean anything when it comes to this season's MVP race. But the voters aren't computers who can be instructed to ignore that or the idea of seeing a fresh face take the trophy, factors James must battle.

The natural defense for James' case is that some of the numbers are weighed down by what was a less-than-standard first two months of the season, when he was battling some injuries. Those numbers, however, still count.