"He's on another level, man," Gay said. "There are only a couple people on that level in this league."

That next-level player Gay spoke of is LeBron James , who engineers the Cleveland Cavaliers ' locomotive that will ride through FedExForum tonight.

James and Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant may be the only NBA athletes playing on Pluto but just one of them is garnering consensus praise as the league's leading candidate for most valuable player.

The stretch run, after the All-Star Break in February, is generally when the MVP is won. But James isn't wasting time.

The 24-year-old is playing with such confidence and intensity that his counterparts on the court and on the bench marvel.

"He's a skilled Basketball player masquerading as a freight train," Griz coach Marc Iavaroni said. "He's making a very serious case for, well, he's leading for MVP.

"He's come with the total package of winning and determination. He's been through a lot of pain. He's been through a great (Olympic) experience in China. And he knows the difference. He wants to bring all of that to an NBA championship. They've got a great thing going."

Statistically, this is not James' best season. But Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki , recent winners of the MVP award, didn't have career numbers. What put MVP candidates over the top historically is that they come from one of the best teams in the league.

It's hard not to acknowledge the effectiveness of the Mo Williams acquisition, center Zydrunas Ilgauskas ' play, guard Delonte West 's steadiness and Ben Wallace 's contributions on the boards and with blocks when talking about Cleveland's success.

James, though, continues to be the catalyst - a linebacker in shorts and tank top at 6-8, 250-plus pounds - responsible for the Cavs bulldozing their way to the league's second-best record (29-6) with just one less win than the Lakers.

"I'm just going to try and use my quickness to try to do what I can to contain him," Gay said. "You can't stop him."

One of James' best outings happened Jan. 2 when he notched his first triple-double this season. James willed his teammates to a 117-92 victory over Chicago while attempting just eight shots to go with 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

"For LeBron to take eight shots and us to score 117 points is a tribute to him," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "He trusted his teammates and did a nice job of getting them easy looks throughout the game."

And then James stated the obvious: "I could've turned it up any time I wanted to," indicating how effortlessly this season is unfolding.

James' playing time is down by 4 to 6 minutes over the past several seasons. His turnovers have decreased while James' steals and blocks have increased.

It took four years, but James has bought into Brown's defense-first philosophy. James is fifth in the league in steals and should become a member of the NBA's All-Defensive team this season, representing a squad that is tops in the league in field-goal percentage defense and opponents scoring.

What is a more impressive is Cleveland's point differential margin. The Cavs are scoring 101.4 ppg but are only giving up 89 ppg .

"It's good because we've been playing some very good Basketball and we feel like we're one of the best teams in the league," said James, whose squad is 19-0 at home. "We can't be content. But it's good to see it."

Perhaps the best example of James' drive this season happened last Friday when the Cavs handed the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics their second-worst loss this season .

James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and heard Cleveland fans chanting "M-V-P!" as the Cavs pulled away in the second half. That James eventually took on Pierce as a defensive assignment and negated the Celtics' star after Pierce had burned West and then Wally Szczerbiak spoke volumes.

"His determination on the ball and off the ball is markedly improved. He's better down the stretch," Iavaroni said. "He seems like he's playing a more consistent game. It's not just one-on-one, and he's set up teammates for a while, but better defense is what jumps out the most."

That's what casual observers see on the outside.

James' internal makeup is apparently a cause for pause.

"Just being around him and from talking to him, the thing I can respect is he's never lost that hunger to get better," Gay said. "You've got to respect a guy like that. He's on top of his game."

- Ronald Tillery: 529-2353

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Grizzlies vs. Cavs When, where: Today, 7 p.m., FedExForum TV, radio: SportSouth, WRBO-FM (103.5)