LeBron says Cavaliers are rounding into top form

Don't look now, but the Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to deliver on their promise of dominance.

Winners of 14 of their past 16 games, the Cavaliers have rocketed up the standings and now sit just 1.5 games back of the Chicago Bulls for third place in the Eastern Conference. During this stretch, the Cavaliers are outscoring opponents by an average of 10.6 points per game while logging a net rating higher than the Atlanta Hawks.

Their recent success contrasts starkly with their slow start to the season. The Cavaliers opened with seven losses in their first 12 games, as reports swirled about a potential head-coaching change.

To LeBron James, their early struggles were a product of new teammates learning their roles and working to build chemistry.

"It takes time," James told Sam Amick of USA Today. "It takes time for a team to gel. Especially a new team to gel and come together and build camaraderie. That's exactly what we're going through. We were going through early-season struggles because we didn't know each other both on the floor and off the floor.

"But over the last month or so, it's clicked."

James's return from injury coincides with the Cavaliers' hot stretch. Since James came back, the Cavaliers have lost just three times against 14 wins and he's performed admirably, logging averages of 27.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals.

Positivity has also muffled the conversation surrounding David Blatt's job security. Apparently, winning does cure all.

"Every day we get closer and closer," James said of Blatt. "I think he's great. He's handled his first stint in the NBA extremely well so far, and I'm happy to be playing for him."