Take Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Dion Walters off the court. That's fine as far as the Cleveland Cavaliers are concerned. They've got LeBron James and Kevin Love, and they are set to take on the world.

Love isn't Dwyane Wade, and he certainly isn't Chris Bosh, but he doesn't have to be. In James and Love the Cavaliers have the league's most entertaining duo; one player whose prerogative is to bring Cleveland its first major sports title since Lyndon B. Johnson was in office; the other, a three-time All-Star who never felt the "love" from Minnesota's front office. Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor balked at giving Love a five-year contract extension, instead saving it for Ricky Rubio.

Rubio and the Timberwolves are worse for letting Love go, if that's possible. Love is one of two players in the last eight years to average 24 points and 10 rebounds per game, the other being Bosh. He's one of three players in NBA history to average 20-plus points, 11-plus rebounds, and at least one three-pointer over the course of a season, and he's done it three times. Last season, Love notched 2,010 points, 963 rebounds, and 341 assists.

No one on Cleveland's roster comes close. Not Irving, not Walters, not Andrew Wiggins; Minnesota's take in trading the potential Hall of Famer. Miami's haul for losing their Hall of Famer? A new slogan that reads "Heat Lifer," a passive-aggressive nod at James' departure.

Bosh says he hasn't spoken to James since The King's decision to leave South Beach. When pressed by the media, Bosh said playing behind James will be "very difficult" for Love. Last week, Wade confessed that last year "wasn't fun" and "it's amazing we made it to the Finals." If a James-Wade tag-team can stumble into the Finals, what's to say James and Love can't do the same?

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson. Each tandem reached the NBA Finals within two years of playing together, the latter was the only pair not to win. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal took all of four years to win their first. And it's not like the Cavs have a weak supporting cast.

James recruited Mike Miller, Shawn Marion, and James Jones to join the post-Miami party. Irving has make the All-Star team two of his first three season, averaging 20.7 points and 5.8 assists per game since 2011. The scoring workload is off Irving's shoulders now, giving him an opportunity to be more of a ball distributor. Thompson and longtime Cav Anderson Varejao are battling for starting center duties, though neither expects to out rebound Love.

Every championship-caliber duo has championship-caliber talent filling out the roster. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had it, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin rode it to six titles, and Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have built a dynasty out of it. Who's to say James and Love aren't next.

James has reiterated that success is a long process. He's not claiming Cleveland will win "Not four, not five, not six..." NBA titles. Instead, he's preaching patience. And he's right.

The Cavs have to feel each other out. They have a new head coach in David Blatt that understands the insurmountable pressure associated with the city's anticipation. James is going on 30 years old and likely won't have a full workload going forward.

But Cleveland has a star-studded roster for once, and one that will do anything to win. And they've got two of the world's best shooters leading the charge. In that respect, the long road to success may not take as long after all.