LeBron James is already instructing other Cavaliers on new coach David Blatt's offense

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a lot work out this training camp. New additions LeBron James, Kevin Love, and various veterans must adjust to playing with holdover Cavs like Kyrie Irving, but the entire group must learn the system of new head coach David Blatt. Known for his tactical excellence as a coach for EuroLeague titan Maccabi Tel Aviv, Blatt figures to install a fairly intricate offensive game plan to maximize the skills of his three All-Stars and their capable teammates. It would not be terribly surprising for that process to take some time in training camp and beyond, if only because Blatt and his staff will need to adjust as they learn more about the players and how they work together.

Just a few days into camp, though, one player seems to have Blatt's system down pretty well. Not surprisingly, it's LeBron. From Ken Berger for CBSSports.com (via PBT):

At the end of the evening practice, Blatt blew his whistle and told the players to clear the court and get off their feet; it was a long day, with many more ahead in this team's drive for the city of Cleveland's first major pro sports championship in 50 years. (The NFL's Browns are the city's most recent title celebrants, in 1964.)

The coaching staff retreated to their evening meeting, which lasted 30 minutes or so. When they emerged, what they saw was heartening, if not particularly surprising: There was James on the practice floor with four teammates, marching them through the intricacies of Blatt's offensive system from the perspective of each position, one through five. James had already mastered them all.

"Mastered" might be an exaggeration (and James probably discussed tactics with Blatt in the offseason), but even a conservative read of the situation would lead one to believe that LeBron has picked up the offense at an extremely rapid rate. We know James to have a photographic memory for basketball, and his court vision and versatility suggests that he has a genius-level understanding of the game that makes him able to turn his obvious natural gifts into once-in-a-generation production.

Berger's anecdote doesn't really mean much — it's the first day of practice, after all — but it does add to the impression that things are going pretty well for James as he begins his second stint in Cleveland. He's making a good impression on the fans, giving people the highlights they want to see, and generally basking in the glow of his triumphant return. Everything is pretty great right now.

Chances are James will see more challenges when the Cavs start playing real games at the start of the NBA season. However, it's important to remember that the basketball part of being a superstar usually goes pretty well for LeBron — it's the off-court stuff that usually requires a little more convincing.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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