LeBron on reeling Cavs: 'It's a delicate time'

The reigning champions get the benefit of the doubt, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to slip.

Following a 29-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, the Cavaliers now sit 1.5 games back of the Boston Celtics for first in the East - a spot Cleveland occupied for the entire season until this week.

LeBron James isn't quite ready to tear into his club for dropping four of its last six games, but he didn't paint a perfect picture of confidence postgame.

"It's a delicate time right now for our team," James told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "A lot of people talking ... guys in the locker room. I'm not saying it's for the bad. We've got a couple guys that's shown leadership, some guys that's been in the fray before that's giving their opinions.

"I've learned over the season there's a time and place for it. Certain situations. I kind of wait for the right time ... So my time will come."

Each player is taking the losses differently. James is putting trust in his teammates to step up, while Kyrie Irving stayed late Monday to take more shots.

Head coach Tyronn Lue, meanwhile, called out his team for a lack of intensity, which has contributed to its season-long deficiencies on defense.

"The crazy part about it. We start off the right way, but teams are so much faster than us," Lue said. "They just look so much faster than we are. I mean. I mean, damn. It just looks like, just beat us on the dribble, transition, just looking faster."

James has lugged lesser teams to six straight Finals appearances, and his Cavaliers have historically gone through phases of uncertainty in the regular season before morphing into a juggernaut come playoffs. But the Wizards, Celtics, and Raptors are all hitting their stride, putting pressure on the Cavs to wake up before they tumble further.