James: Cavs were totally different team during season

The Toronto Raptors played the Cleveland Cavaliers pretty tough during the regular season, taking two out of three meetings. With the two teams set to face off in the Eastern Conference finals, however, LeBron James has a warning for Toronto.

"We were a totally different team in the regular season," James told reporters Sunday, shortly after the Cavs found out their opponent for the series, which begins Tuesday night.

It's not so much a knock on the Raptors - who've had an eventful, up-and-down postseason - as it's likely confidence in Cleveland's recent dominance. The Cavs have yet to lose in these playoffs, racking up an 8-0 record and a league-best offensive rating of 117 points per 100 possessions.

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James dismissed the shooting struggles that Raptors guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have had at points. "They're the reason they're in the Eastern Conference finals," he said, adding, "They wouldn't be in this position without them. ...

"They was chasing us all year for the No. 1 seed."

When Game 1 tips off Tuesday, the Cavaliers will have been off for nine days, but that's music to the 13-year veteran's body.

"Any time you get an opportunity to get some rest ... it's always beneficial for anybody," James said. "It doesn't matter if you are a 31-year-old guy who's played a lot of basketball or a 19-year-old kid who just came into the league, it doesn't matter. You get nine days in the postseason, it's beneficial."