Lue: Cavs will be top team in East because we have 'best player in the world'

The Cleveland Cavaliers may have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, but head coach Tyronn Lue is convinced they're still the team to beat in the East ... or at least they will be come playoff time.

"We're not right now, but we will be the best team in the East, yes," Lue told reporters before his team's MLK Day matchup with the rival Golden State Warriors.

"Well, we're not playing the best right now, but we will be."

Indeed, they certainly aren't playing their best right now. The back-to-back-to-back East champions have trailed the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors for the majority of the season and rank among the league's worst in defensive rating. On its recent road trip, Cleveland lost by 14 in Boston and by 34 in Toronto.

Nevertheless, Lue remains confident his men will figure it out, "because we've got the best player in the world."

That player, obviously, is LeBron James, who in his 15th season is averaging a career-high 8.8 assists per game and sets up 44.6 percent of his teammates' buckets when he's on the court.

He's led his hometown squad to three consecutive NBA Finals and is looking to make it four in row, and eight overall for him personally.