By John Schuhmann, NBA.com
Posted May 12 2009 12:55PM

While every other team has experienced multiple bumps in the road in these Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ path to the conference finals was smooth and without incident. There has been no late-game drama, no games lost to injury or suspension. There hasn’t even been a flagrant foul.

Through eight games, the Cavs’ idea of “adversity” has been a one-point deficit late in the third quarter of Game 3 in Atlanta. The only time they’ve trailed in the final period of a game was for 19 seconds early in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in Detroit.

Game 3 in Atlanta was the best game their opponent has played thus far, and the Cavs won that game by 15 points. Game 4 on Monday was the worst the Cavs have played themselves, and they won by 10.

Every other team in these Playoffs has lost at least two games, while the Cavs have cruised to two straight sweeps, the first team to do so since the 2005 Heat. The total number of sweeps in last year’s Playoffs: One.

Were the Pistons the worst team in the Playoffs? Yes. Were the Hawks the worst team in the conference semifinals? Yes. Were both teams banged up? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean that the Cavs aren’t playing the best basketball of any team in the league right now.

LeBron James deservedly won the MVP award in a landslide, but the regular season may have just been a prelude to a new level of dominance from the 24-year-old. He’s leading all postseason scorers with 32.9 points per game (even though five players are attempting more shots than he is), to go along with 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and two steals.

And while the Cavs got a little too LeBron-heavy at times in the Atlanta series, they’ve done just fine with their star on the bench. In five of their eight games, they outscored their opponent in the critical time when James rests to start the second quarter. And for the eight games, they’re +24 during those stretches. If an opponent can’t take advantage of James’ time off the floor, there’s not much of a chance to beat Cleveland.

The Cavs are healthy and their opponents have been relatively weak. But their perfect record is a result of more than just that. From the tip of Game 1 against Detroit to the final buzzer in Atlanta on Monday, the Cavs have never lost their focus. While the national media may already be reserving hotel rooms in Cleveland for June, the Cavs haven’t looked past the next game on their schedule. Despite their clear dominance of both the Pistons and Hawks, they have never let their guard down.

Offensively, they’ve had some droughts. They’ve become stagnant at times over the last couple of games, as James has gotten a little isolation-happy and his teammates have stood around and watched. But only one team has a more efficient offense this postseason:

The droughts have been short. James always goes back to making the right play, whether it be for himself or for his teammates. And at least one other guy always steps up to give him help offensively.

On the other side of the floor is where the Cavs have truly dominated. The Cavs are the only team allowing less than a point per possession in the Playoffs.

Richard Hamilton (39 percent shooting), Rasheed Wallace (37 percent), Tayshaun Prince (26 percent) and Joe Johnson (42 percent) haven’t looked anything like All-Stars against the Cleveland defense. The Cavs have dropped back in transition, kept their opponents out of the paint and contested shots.

“They’re playing at a championship level,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said after his team was swept, comparing the Cavs to the 2004 Pistons team that he won a ring with as an assistant coach.

The Cavs will meet stronger resistance in the conference finals. Both the Celtics and Magic beat the Cavs twice this season, and both are much stronger defensively than Detroit or Atlanta. But both have proven to be much more vulnerable than Cleveland thus far in the postseason, as have the Lakers on the other side of the bracket. And any team would have to win at least one game at Quicken Loans Arena in order to beat the Cavs.

Cleveland has won its four home playoff games thus far by an average of 19.3 points, and it is now 43-2 at the Q since the season began. For the Cavs, home court is truly an advantage, and it’s going to take a near-perfect performance from some other team to win on that floor.

James and the Cavs are halfway to a championship, but the second half won’t be nearly as easy as the first. Still, with the way they’ve dominated the first two rounds, they’re the mid-May favorite to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“We’re not taking for granted what we’re doing right now,” James said Monday. “We are excited, because we’re playing great basketball. But we’re not satisfied.”