After months of lackluster effort on defense and rare signs of a real desire to win, the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally playing with the kind of intensity that they need to become a contender in the Eastern Conference.

They have more than enough talent after David Griffin pulled off a bunch of blockbuster trades, and with a sudden surge of energy and a healthy LeBron James, the Cavaliers' future looks a great deal brighter.

Despite their six game win streak (in which they've defeated the Clippers, Bulls and the Thunder) the Cavs still have a long way to go to become a legitimate contender.

When you have a four-time MVP, an All-Star point guard, an All-Star power forward and a host of solid role players, a 25-20 record and fifth place in the East is nothing to boast about.

However, things are turning around.

It's common knowledge that the Cavaliers haven't been able to gel yet this year. Dion Waiters hardly got the ball and only wanted to shoot when he did. Kevin Love hasn't been utilized in the post enough and hardly anyone has hustled or played with anything close to aggression on defense.

Simply put, the best reason to watch the Cavs was to see whether Love could lob a hail-Mary pass down the court to LeBron for a big dunk. Which shouldn't exactly be the highlight for a Cavaliers team pegged as top title contenders from the start of the season.

Although now that the recent arrivals of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov seem to be settling in, the Cavs are beginning to resemble the team we thought they could be.

Even with all the talent the Cavaliers have though, injuries have still been enough to help them hover around a .500 record for most of the season. LeBron has been hurt, Kyrie Irving has had back issues, and even Shumpert arrived in Cleveland with a dislocated shoulder.

Now that LeBron and Shumpert (their two most vital perimeter defenders) are ready to play, it's no surprise that this team looks thoroughly rejuvenated.

In seven games since returning from injury, James is averaging 30 points per game on 52 percent shooting. Add on the 6.3 assists he's been averaging since his return, and his fast break connection with Love, and the impact James has offensively is as clear as ever.

Where LeBron's presence is most needed for the Cavaliers, though, is on defense. They still rank 25th in the league in defensive efficiency (105.8 points allowed per 100 possessions) and a player like LeBron, who can guard every position from point guard to power forward, has never been more pivotal to their success.

He's instantly made an impact guarding the perimeter and in this seven game stretch, he's been averaging 2.1 steals per game, with nine in just the last three games alone.

The Cavaliers have been in desperate need of a defender who can lock down the perimeter and take some pressure off LeBron, which is why Shumpert is the most valuable addition from the trade with the New York Knicks. Now that he's healthy, Cleveland finally has someone who can provide some extra defensive energy on the wing.

What's been most noticeable in the Cavaliers' six game win streak is that they're actually creating turnovers and converting them into instant points. An actual desire to force mistakes from opponents to create offense (other than just relying on Kyrie to drop 30) is something we've hardly seen yet from the Cavs. But that looks to be changing.

The fast break in the video above is a perfect example. Smith leaped for the ball, made that ridiculous overhead pass, and then Irving swiftly dished the ball to Love for the alley-oop dunk. That's the kind of basketball that will get Cleveland excited again. They scored 27 fast break points in their dominating 129-90 win over the Charlotte Hornets and, led by LeBron's 34, they continued the offensive outburst to defeat the Thunder, 108-98.

The LeBron James - Kevin Durant storyline stole the show, but the continued effort of the entire team is what enabled the Cavaliers to take down the reigning MVP and his running mate, Russell Westbrook.

Tristan Thompson has gone under the radar during the Cavaliers' success this year and once again versus the Thunder, he was pivotal in deciding the game's outcome. He's been one of the only players consistently bringing what the Cavs have needed this year; grit and defense.

Thompson has upped his game even more as of late, and he's averaged 10.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game over the current winning streak. A 24-point, 12-rebound performance in a tough win against the Clippers, and 10-point, 16-rebound, three-block outing to take down the Thunder have proved what Thompson is capable of.

With the addition of Mozgov's length to help protect the rim as well, the Cavaliers' interior defense finally has the pieces it needs to limit opponent’s opportunities in the paint. Mozgov has received fairly moderate playing time with the Cavs so far (playing just over 27 minutes a game) yet his impact in the paint and on the boards has been exactly what his teammates would have hoped for.

During his short spell in Cleveland thus far he's averaging 12.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, and using his 7'1" size to add 1.6 blocks per 36 minutes. With that kind of additional presence inside, it's not surprising that the Cavaliers have held their last four opponents to under 100 points.

Shumpert and LeBron have already bolstered the Cavaliers' perimeter defense to force opponents to make erratic passes inside and with Mozgov and Thompson to back them up, they held the Thunder's field goal percentage to a mere 39 percent.

Considering that they have the most explosive point guards in the game and a four-time scoring champ, that's a pretty good result.

Now everything largely falls onto the shoulders of LeBron James. Not just because he's the best player in the world, but because he's the undisputed leader of this team and the one person who is capable of putting as much emphasis on defense as offense.

In order for the Cavaliers to contend, they need the kind of defensive toughness that LeBron brought with him to Miami. Offense isn't as much of an issue. If everyone just stays true to their role, they have more than enough firepower to keep up with anyone. Although, Smith won't be dropping seven threes every night and Kyrie can't always make diving reverse layups to scrape together enough points for a win.

Which is why they need to take notes from the Atlanta Hawks.

With their 26.2 assists per game, the Hawks (37-8) are proving that ball movement and a team first mindset is the play style that wins games.

If the Cavaliers buy into that mentality and play hard defense with as much determination as they do when trying to score, then this team can finally become the top Eastern contender that they were projected to be.

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About the author
Tom West
Third year English Language the University of Winchester and an NBA writer for VAVEL USA.