Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Denver Nuggets

LeBron James has turned his sights toward the playoffs a little earlier than normal, he said.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - LeBron James seemed to confirm Tuesday what sources close to him said was the explanation for his recent Twitter purge.

He's shifting into playoff mode, a little earlier than usual.

"I have (changed his focus), a little bit sooner than normal, but you know I understand that it's right around the corner and I want to start mentally preparing myself for the distance," James said after the Cavs' practice. They play the Milwaukee Bucks at home Wednesday.

For the briefest of recaps, James unfollowed the Cavs' Twitter account Monday and then declined to explain why. He did it on the same day he chose not to speak at shootaround (which is quite rare for him), and, before the game was noticeably subdued toward teammates in the locker room.

According to two sources close to James, he's been quieter in recent days, a noticeable change in his demeanor. He gets that way during the playoffs (he swears off social media in the postseason); now he's apparently flipping that switch with three weeks left in the regular season.

"I'm just being a little more sharper-minded as of late, just gearing toward it," James said. "Understanding that it's right around the corner and it's going to be very, very challenging."

It's a plausible explanation, albeit with a few holes. James appeared to poke a couple more in it on Tuesday, when, mid-morning, he took to Twitter to announce he was thinking of joining another social medium - Snapchat - to provide "(a)nother way for my fans to ride with me throughout my journey."

Think I just may join the Snap this week. Another way for my fans to ride with me throughout my journey — LeBron James (@KingJames) March 22, 2016

Snapchat is a temporary picture-sharing service that's different than Twitter or Facebook in that there's much less opportunity for a user - James - to be inundated with the opinion and vitriol of those two mediums.

A source close to James said Snapchat would be a non-intrusive way for James to occasionally post a short video of a workout or pre-game car ride without truly engaging on social media.

But, if James is truly trying to pare down his social media exposure to prepare for the playoffs, joining Snapchat is an odd way to do it.

Also, James and his business partners created Uninterrupted, a digital platform for athletes (him included) to share their experiences with fans through videos. Warner Bros. and Turner Sports recently pumped $15.8 million into Uninterrupted.

While James using Snapchat would seem to present a conflict with Uninterrupted, James' representatives say the content on Uninterrupted is far more diverse and substantive than a 10-second video posted to Snapchat.

James also apparently re-followed the Cavs on Instagram on Tuesday, a day after "Unfollowgate" erupted.

Moving on.

Taking James' statements Tuesday at face value, his weaning himself off of outside distractions is an excellent development for the Cavs.

He of course posted a triple-double in Monday's blowout win over the Nuggets, and sounded bullish on Cleveland's prospects heading into the postseason.

"At the end of the day, we're 9-3 in our last 12 (games), so, I mean, we're playing some good ball," James said. "We just didn't play how we want to play in the Utah game and in Miami, but we're playing some good ball."

The Cavs entered Tuesday with a 11/2 -game lead over Toronto for first place in the East. They've won the Central Division, and are 50-20. Obviously, a whopping 30 games over .500.

For context, James and the Cavs won just 53 games last season and wound up in the Finals. And this season there's controversy?

James was asked if teams around the league were recognizing not only the Cavs' record, but their prowess.

He said: "They better, or they'll lose."