Cavs Are NBA's Hottest Team

The Cleveland Cavaliers are rollin'!

After seven straight wins they stand first in the Central Division and second in the Eastern Conference with an 8-2 record. NBA.com currently has them ranked No. 1 in the league in power rankings.

Even Charles Barkley (who loves to slam the Cavs) has picked them to come out on top of the Eastern Conference at the end of the year. The rest of the league better watch out because they are climbing to the top!

LeBron James has won back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards, showing that his commitment to the Olympics over the summer has not slowed him down a bit.

Over 10 games, James has averaged 29.8 points, eight rebounds, and 7.3 assists. His leadership skills have improved dramatically since last year and he is dedicated to leading this team to the franchise's first championship ever.

The team undoubtedly remains one of the top defensive teams in the league.

They have slipped up a few times this year by letting teams score points in bunches, but the Cavs locked down on defense down the stretch of games and came out with wins.

Ben Wallace has looked rejuvenated on the defensive end and has been a key presence in the paint. He has pulled down double-digit numbers in rebounds in four of the 10 games despite his sore back (which hasn't seemed to have been bothering him much) and his banged up right knee.

Although Cleveland has had a defensive identity in the past, it has been entertaining to see the offense running up the scoreboard. They've scored 100 points or more in six of their past seven games.

With the improved depth on the team there are many different players that can light up the scoreboard. With so many outside shooters, Cleveland has been able to spread the floor well and it has been harder for teams to come at Games with double-teams; especially when they run their three-guard lineup with James playing power forward.

This gives Cleveland three shooters on the floor and James is now playing off the ball where he is getting the easiest buckets of his career.

The Cavs are quickly developing a swagger and players are more confident than ever. Throughout every game this year, the bench has been up and cheering for the players on the court as if it were a playoff game.

This is type of energy and motivation this team needs to be successful. Everybody seems to understand their roll and players are willing to make sacrifices for the better of the team. This kind of chemistry will take this team to the next level and make them one of the top championship contenders.

Cleveland fans, buckle your seat belts and let's enjoy the ride!