James gave the directions, and Wallace shook his head in mock bewilderment.

"That's a long walk, man,'' he said as several teammates chuckled.

James is the centerpiece, that one signature superstar every team needs if it holds any hope of winning a championship. In the midst of an MVP-worthy season, he is the epicenter of any championship discussion in Cleveland. The tattoo on his right bicep screams the perfect one-word description: BEAST.

But even with his scary physical gifts, James needs glue guys like the 34-year-old Wallace to help set a good example and keep team chemistry at optimum levels.

Until Thursday, when Wallace reportedly suffered a broken leg in the second quarter, the Cavs had avoided the injury bug that bit fellow title contenders Boston and Orlando, shelving all-stars Kevin Garnett and Jameer Nelson, respectively.

Cleveland played arguably its worst game of the season, limping to a 93-74 road loss to a Houston team that's playing as well as anyone. James, hounded by Ron Artest, scored just 21 points and did not record an assist for the first time in 447 NBA games; bad news for the San Antonio Spurs , who will undoubtedly face a motivated King James tonight.

The Cavs slipped to 44-12 before the star-studded crowd that included Roger Clemens, Vince Young and world champion boxers Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins.

While it will take a championship or two before we anoint the Cavaliers as Showtime East, they remain the healthiest favorite to make it to the NBA finals, which isn't a surprise considering this group has been put together by people who know a little bit about championships.

The braintrust of GM Danny Ferry, assistant GM Lance Blanks and head coach Mike Brown sat at the side of San Antonio's Gregg Popovich earlier in their careers, and they have taken his teachings to the Eastern Conference.

Popovich is the best talent evaluator in the league for my money. His title teams were built around Tim Duncan, even though he already had an established superstar in David Robinson .

Along the way, Pop and GM R.C. Buford added the right pieces: point guard Tony Parker was thought by some to be a risk because of his lack of outside shooting and lack of size, but he became an all-star. Add Manu Ginobili and great role players like Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen, and all of a sudden the Alamo City becomes a title town.

Pop's pups now push his principles of defense and team chemistry in Cleveland . The Shaq-Kobe divorce in Los Angeles was a cautionary tale of how egos can bring down a title contender, and you never hear those stories coming out of Cleveland or San Antonio.

"We were able to learn from the best in (Popovich)," Brown said. "And from us being there, we saw that no matter how good the players are, if they aren't good people who fit into a team philosophy, you're not going to win."

This Cavs team is going to win. The superstar is in place in James. And in the past year, the Cavs have brought in proven veterans in Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West. The biggest move, though, came with the addition of point guard Mo Williams, who has given Cleveland the look of a legitimate title contender.

James says Williams has taken a huge load off his shoulders, particularly in the ballhandling department. Former Longhorn Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson and West are more comfortable at the shooting -guard position.

"The management did a great job of getting the right mix of guys you need to win,'' Gibson said. "We're all the best of friends off the floor, and there isn't any animosity in the locker room. We're all on the same page."

It's a team built for a championship, and a possible run of titles, if Ferry can figure out a way to keep James in Cleveland. Unless he re-ups this offseason, James will become a free agent after the 2009-10 season, and bigger markets like the New York Knicks are, in a word, interested in his unique skill set.

That issue took center stage earlier this season when James not-so-smartly talked about the possibility of playing elsewhere than Cleveland . He could one day wind up being the first NBA player to command a - hold onto your seat if you hate recessions - $40 million annual salary.

And he's just 24.

If Cleveland can keep him around, the Cavaliers are the next great franchise in this league. The Celtics' nucleus of Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce is aging and can be had this season, especially if Cleveland gets home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

James will determine how far this team goes, but if he plays the way he has played this season, give the Cavaliers the best chance to unseat the Celtics and keep the NBA title in the East, even with Wallace expected to miss four to six weeks.

"Fair or not, our season will be measured in what happens in late April, May, and June,'' Blanks said. "We'll be judged by wins because that's what matters in the end."

Popovich would agree.

cgolden@stateman.com; 912-5944