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The Cleveland Cavaliers, in almost all ways, are humming along at the moment. They are currently atop the Eastern Conference with a 16-5 record - good for third best in the NBA. The Cavs haven’t looked challenged in several games, including last night’s drubbing of the Miami Heat.
A big reason why is, of course, LeBron James. But last night, James also gave credit to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving for playing at a high level.
"They've been playing probably the best basketball of their careers thus far,” he said per ESPN.
For the year, Irving and Love are both playing at an All-Star level. The former leads the team in scoring at 24.5 points per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from three. Love, meanwhile, is posting the best stats since being traded to the Cavs prior to the 2014-15 season with averages of 21.7 points per game and 10.5 rebounds per game.
James, in particular, singled out Love for his performance so far this season.
“He's the Kevin Love of old, and this is everything we expected out of him," James said per ESPN. "That's what we want out of him. But there's no added pressure for him. He's going out and just playing his game right now. He's shooting the ball extremely well. He's rebounding at a high clip, and he's at a point where he's just comfortable with everything, and it's great to have him."
For both Irving and Love, this season marks some new ground for them. Irving is healthy after hurting his knee during the 2015 Finals and sitting out until December of last year. As for Love, he looks more comfortable and confident than he did in either of the past two seasons. His current numbers are the closest he’s posted to the 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds he finished with during his best season with the Timberwolves.
For the Cavs, getting Love and Irving both playing at a high level only helps and it allows LeBron to not carry the team night in and night out. And it might also give them the best team they’ve had in the second LeBron-era.