LeBron James Says Current Season More Difficult Than His Others

Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James didn't sugarcoat things when he assessed how his team's 2017-18 season has unfolded.

"It's been very challenging," James said Wednesday, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "Just from the simple fact of how many guys have been in and out. This is a difficult year for our team. Seems like I say that every year, but this one has been even more challenging."

The four-time MVP also tried his best to say this year hasn't been his hardest since returning to Cleveland in 2014, but he appeared to confirm as much.

"I don't like to use the word 'worse' too much," James said. "It's another challenging year."

Even during the best of times, drama has never been too far behind the Cavaliers—whether it was the job status of former head coach David Blatt, trade rumors swirling around Kevin Love, James' future with the team or trading Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics.

Despite all of that, it's easy to see how this is the toughest year Cleveland has endured with James back. The roster had a ton of turnover in the offseason, between acquiring Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Isaiah Thomas and signing Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose. And Thomas' hip injury meant he couldn't debut for the Cavs until the team's 127-110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 2.

The mood around the team appears to be at a nadir. Cleveland just got beat 118-108 at home by the Golden State Warriors, which was its eighth defeat in 11 games.

Head coach Tyronn Lue attempted to play down any internal tension, per Cleveland.com:

However, McMenamin, Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon and The Athletic's Jason Lloyd all published reports on the same day detailing how some Cavs players went off the record to voice concerns about how the team can't simply flip a switch like it did last year and turn things around.

Vardon noted the Cavs have the NBA's oldest roster, while McMenamin highlighted Cleveland's 109.4 defensive rating, which is third-worst in the league, per NBA.com.

Despite all of their past issues, the Cavaliers have reached the NBA Finals in each of the last three years. Because of that, it's easy to think everything will get right in time for the playoffs.

But with the Celtics coping well with Gordon Hayward's season-ending injury and the Toronto Raptors again looking like a formidable contender in the Eastern Conference, a fourth straight Finals appearance is far from a formality.