Chameleon Cavs tote two most efficient lineups into East finals

11:02 AM ET

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — LeBron James has long possessed a skill set that shunned conventional definition by position. While he’s listed on the lineup card at small forward, he has the court vision of a point guard and the body of a power forward, a mix so rare that Hall of Famer Rick Barry once said he “fantasizes” about James’ ability.

James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, a perfect 8-0 in the postseason heading into Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Toronto Raptors (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), have taken on his versatility as a team.

Out of the 24 five-man lineups that have played at least 35 minutes together through the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Cavs had the two best lineups — in terms of efficiency — that any team put out on the court, according to research by ESPN Stats & Information.

LeBron James is part of both Cavalier lineups that have been so efficient so far during these playoffs. AP Photo/Tony Dejak

And they each have a distinct look.

The Cavs’ starting lineup — or traditional, balanced lineup between big men and small — with James, Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson is a plus-63 in 164 minutes together.

Their small-ball group of James, Matthew Dellavedova, Iman Shumpert, Richard Jefferson and …

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