LeBron James Returns to Miami a New Man, with a New Contender

LeBron James' last regular-season trip to South Beach was mired in transitional uncertainty. The Cleveland Cavaliers had yet to form an identity, their stars were trying to delicately balance on the team's scoring seesaw and James wasn't regularly shredding teams with his incomparable blend of size, speed, strength and vision.

As a result, James and the Cavaliers fell flat, 101-91, in a Christmas Day showdown with the Miami Heat. It was still early, but doubts started boiling to the surface regarding Cleveland's ability to morph into a top-flight title contender the way Miami did upon James' arrival in 2010.

Nearly three months later, hesitation to anoint Cleveland entrants in the NBA's championship sweepstakes has vanished. The Cavs have throttled toward the top of the standings and will be an overwhelming favorite when the Heat play host to the Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET Monday.     

A slew of personnel moves, a rejuvenated, MVP-caliber James and troves of chemistry have transformed Cleveland into the odds-on favorite to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. According to Odds Shark, the Cavaliers boast league-leading title odds of 11-5. The Golden State Warriors occupy the No. 2 spot at 15-4. 

But to truly appreciate just how much ground Cleveland (43-25) has covered since dropping its first showdown in Miami, we have to take a step back and evaluate where the Cavaliers stood and the statistical gains they've made in subsequent months.

Although Cleveland is now comfortably nestled into the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed, that development has been spurred by a recent stylistic enlightenment. However, balance on both ends was a rare sight throughout the first two months of Cleveland's season.

At the time of Miami's holiday triumph over the Cavaliers, James and Co. resided in elite offensive territory. The story differed on defense, where injuries, a lack of size and an adjustment to head coach David Blatt's scheme came to define early-season woes. 

With Cleveland a meager 17-11 and No. 5 overall in the East, James wasn't in the mood to mince words, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group's Chris Fedor: 

But in stoic fashion, James remained resolute regarding his team's ability to turn things around. 

"We have our system in place but we've added a few new guys," James said in January, according to NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. "We've had some injuries as well. We're starting to pick it up and guys are starting to get healthy. So I'm looking forward to seeing what we can become up until the All-Star break, but even more after that."

Ever since, points have been flowing, and the defense has resembled a consistent, cohesive unit.

By dumping Dion Waiters and acquiring Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov, Cleveland has rounded out its roster with complementary pieces who have embraced niche roles, as Blatt told the Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd late last month: 

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The three of them have really changed the fortunes of this team because of their particular skill sets, but more importantly the attitude they brought and the way they fit right in with our guys. They’re all good players and very good people. They’ve all jelled with their teammates quickly and easily and naturally. We know the three of them can play and they’ve shown that since they’ve come here.

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Put lightly, the team's new starting lineup has eviscerated opponents. With James, Smith, Mozgov, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love on the floor, Cleveland's go-to five-man unit has topped the league charts by a mile (minimum 300 minutes played). 

Team	Personnel	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cleveland Cavaliers	Irving-Smith-James-Love-Mozgov	119.8	94.7	25.2
Golden State Warriors	Curry-Thompson-Barnes-Green-Bogut	114.0	94.4	19.5
Sacramento Kings	Collison-McLeMore-Gay-Thompson-Cousins	108.1	91.8	16.4
Los Angeles Clippers	Paul-Redick-Barnes-Griffin-Jordan	117.2	101.1	16.1
Washington Wizards	Wall-Beal-Pierce-Nene-Gortat	110.7	98.3	12.5

The offensive explosion is one thing, but playing defense consistent with the league-leading Warriors is a tremendous achievement for a team that ranked 23rd overall through Christmas.

Perhaps the most important variable fueling that rapid ascent has been Mozgov's presence on the interior. Since his arrival, Cleveland's defense has assumed the form of a top-three unit with him on the floor and bottom-five unit with him on the bench. 

Then there's the Big Three. 

Ever since James returned from a two-week absence in mid-January, Irving has been the isolation king, Love has provided steady support from beyond the arc and James has coordinated offensive happenings as the team's leading scorer and dime-dropper.  

According to the NBA's Conrad Kaczmarek, Cleveland has recorded what would equate to the league's third-best winning percentage with all three milling around the floor: 

Irving in particular has roasted defenders this month by averaging 26.3 points on 55.3 percent shooting from the field and 55.2 percent shooting from three. 

His dominant 57-point display in Cleveland's 128-125 victory over the San Antonio Spurs reinforced the notion that he's fully capable of coexisting with James. And following a 33-point showing in Sunday's 123-108 win over the Orlando Magic, Irving has tallied 90 points on 32-of-47 shooting from the field and 12-of-13 shooting from three over his past two games.  

Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick explained why Irving's ability to create space and convert tough looks will come in handy once the postseason gets underway: 

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Still, even while Irving hasn't had a playoff appearance, and even while his overall clutch numbers this season aren't as sterling as his sublime work against Portland and San Antonio would suggest, it's becoming impossible to ignore his tendency to turn it up in the spotlight, with the 2014 World Championships a prime example. Plus, his ability to excel in traffic should translate well to punishing playoff conditions.

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Love and Irving may not be as polished as Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but the explosive potential and playmaking ability they bring to the table are beautiful accompaniments for James' casual dominance.

Rubber-stamped as title pretenders during their last stop in Miami, the Cavaliers have come full circle as the Heat scrap for a postseason berth sans Bosh.     

Inevitable or not, Cleveland's revitalization hasn't just been real—it's been spectacular. 

All statistics current as of March 15 and courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise.