Anyone following the Cleveland Cavaliers this year has been eagerly awaiting the moment when they finally looked playoff-ready. Although last year featured a two-to-three month span when everything just shifted into high gear, this year’s unit has looked inconsistent all season long. Big wins followed by bad losses, weird stories coming from within the locker room and a notable lack of chemistry have all plagued Cleveland throughout the season.

So, when LeBron James declared — seemingly out of nowhere — the Cavs were playoff ready last Sunday, it was a little odd. The statement came after Cleveland had won two straight, but had also given up 20-point leads in each game. It came a week after the team had some sloppy losses, including an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the hapless Brooklyn Nets.

But, hey, who are we to argue with him? He’s been in the NBA long enough to know whether or not his team is ready. It may seem less apparent to those watching the Cavs, but you can’t help but take James’ word for it.

After last night’s performance, it’s starting to look like he was on to something. Cleveland looked like a fully-focused team, and it might be thanks to James claiming the team was ready for a postseason run.

When you look at how the Cavs performed last night when they visited the Milwaukee Bucks, you’re forced to wonder if James’ declaration has rallied the team. It was a game which seemed fully designed for a Cleveland loss. The team was coming off two straight wins, facing an opponent well out of playoff contention, just days away from the season ending. The Cavs even built up another 20-plus point lead to blow.

However, what Cleveland put forth instead was an absolute annihilation. The Cavs finished the night shooting 54 percent from the field, and 50 percent from three. Overall, they poured in 18 three-pointers, seven of which came from J.R. Smith.

The high level of scoring was thanks to the near-flawless ball movement put forth by Cleveland. The team ended the night with 30 assists, picking Milwaukee apart and finding open looks on almost every trip down the court.

Even more important was the fact that this was maintained throughout the whole game. At no point did the Cavs get comfortable and shift back into iso-ball as they’ve done all year.

Was the fluid ball movement and on-court chemistry all thanks to James deeming the team was finally ready for the postseason? Probably not 100 percent. Still, the team took the court looking like it believed it was capable of another Finals run, and you can’t help but give James some credit for this.

Remember, despite their top seeding in the East, the Cavs still looked disjointed as recently as a few days ago. One bold claim from James later, Cleveland looks like world-beaters.

Of course, you still have to take last night’s performance with a grain of salt. The Bucks are sitting this postseason out, and the Cavs have become pros at finally looking elite right before regressing to old habits. It’d be no surprise if another step back was taken sometime in the last remaining games.

However, James said Cleveland was playoff-ready, and the team responded by dominating its competition. It sure seems like when he’s not on Twitter, James is quite a clever leader after all.