LeBron: Lineup instability makes this the most challenging year of my career

LeBron James has endured a lot over his career, but nothing like this.

The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar said of his 15 NBA seasons, this has been the toughest one, with his club riding a four-game losing streak and dropping nine of its last 12 games.

"It's been very challenging," James said Wednesday, as quoted by ESPN'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.

"With everybody who has been out and coming back in and the rotations and things of that nature, it's been very challenging on our team. But we have to figure it out. At the end of the day, we have a game every other day or every two days just like everybody else in the NBA. We have to go out and play."

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Cleveland entered the campaign with half its roster overturned from the previous year, not to mention the oldest group in the league, with the average age of 30.1 years. The Cavs have struggled to integrate the new players and figure out rotations, largely because many haven't been healthy. The team's dealt with injuries to a handful of players, most notably to Isaiah Thomas, Iman Shumpert, Derrick Rose, and Tristan Thompson.

The struggles - mostly defensively, where the team ranks 28th - have led to reports that some within the organization are "pessimistic" of Cleveland's title chances, and that the club will "definitely" make a move before next month's trade deadline.

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James, 33, indicated that turning the ship around and winning the championship remains the focus for his squad.

"That's our goal and that's what we got to work towards," he said. "That's what we're here for."

He's certainly doing his part, and then some, trying to compensate for his team's shortcomings by having another MVP-caliber campaign. The superstar is nearly averaging a triple-double with 27.3 points, eight rebounds, and a career-best 8.8 assists over 37 minutes per game. It's been enough to will his side to victories some nights, but the 2016 champs are third in the East and seven games back of the top spot.