By RICK NOLAND

Assistant Sports Editor

Things I think about the Cavaliers, who are 15-3 overall, 10-0 at Quickens Loans Arena and the winners of six straight games and 14 of their last 15.

I think the organization is stronger than it’s ever been: Earlier this week, I opined that the Cavaliers were in better position to win a title than they’ve ever been in the franchise’s less-than-illustrious 39-year history. From the top on down, the organization is also in the best shape it’s ever been in.

Owner Dan Gilbert will not only dole out $90.5 million in player salaries this season, he will pay more than $19 million in luxury taxes – all without a peep of complaint. Beyond that, Gilbert has hired quality people at all levels and in all departments of the organization, stayed out of the limelight and let his employees do what he is paying them to do.

The results speak for themselves. The Q is not only sold out on a nightly basis, it is filled every night. The front office, led by general manager Danny Ferry, consists of intelligent, thoughtful people who don’t make knee-jerk reactions. The head coach, Mike Brown, has convinced his players that defense wins championships. The superstar, LeBron James, has bought into it, and everyone else has followed suit.

Off the court, Gilbert, Ferry, Brown and Co. have done everything they can possibly do to make James want to stay in Cleveland. They built a multimillion-dollar practice facility in Independence. They have not only allowed James’ close friend, Randy Mims, to accompany the team on road trips, they’ve put him on the payroll. They’ve allowed James to give his input on many different levels. And, perhaps most impressive, they’ve done it all in a professional way that has not compromised their integrity with other players on the team.

I think James’ best chance at winning multiple NBA championships just might be in Cleveland: Sure, James’ impending free agency is still almost two full seasons away, which is an eternity in the world of sports.

Sure, the Cavaliers aren’t even at the quarter pole of the 82-game NBA regular season.

Sure, the defending champion Boston Celtics, who have won 10 straight games and own the league’s best record at 18-2, and the NBA finalist Los Angeles Lakers, who are also better than the Cavaliers at 15-2, aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

All that being said, this Cleveland team just seems to have “it.” The players are classy, the coaches are classy, the front office is classy and ownership is classy. There is a genuine belief from the top player (James) to the bottom player (whoever that may be) that a title is all that matters. In pro sports today, that matters more than most casual observers realize.

On top of that, the Cavaliers are way more stable than New York and New Jersey, the two teams mentioned most often in the impending — is more than 1¾ NBA regular seasons really impending? — James sweepstakes. — What if the James-led Cavaliers win it all this season?

What if they win it all next season, regardless of whether it’s their first or second title?

Gosh, now wouldn’t that be a pleasant problem to have in Cleveland?

I think Brown is coaching better than he ever has: About halfway through the first quarter, maybe slightly later, Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel “Boobie” Gibson enter the game. Mo Williams almost always exits, with Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Ben Wallace also leaving. A few moments later, Anderson Varejao comes in, usually for whichever starting big man is still on the floor. Later in the first quarter, Williams comes back in, sometimes for Delonte West, sometimes for James.

It’s all working so perfectly it’s like watching Lenny Wilkens in the Cavaliers’ heydays in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the rotation was so predictable everyone — don’t underestimate how important that is to the fragile egos of some NBA players — knew what was coming.

On top of that, now that he has guys who can actually make jump shots, Brown suddenly looks like he can coach offense, all without sacrificing the team’s defensive mindset.

Sure, there’s no guarantee Brown might fall into bad habits, forget about Ilgauskas and fall in love with having Varejao and/or Wallace on the floor in the closing moments of very tight games.

For the time being, however, think about this: The Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals in 2007-08 with a bunch of bricklayers and took Boston to the wire last season in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Add Williams, a much-improved West and Szczerbiak, a healthy Varejao and Wallace, a promising rookie in J.J. Hickson, the consistent Ilgauskas and the sensational James.

You can’t get excited about that?

I think Williams can go out and score 25 points just about any time he wants, but has instead chosen to fit in perfectly with his new teammates: Trust me on this: There are going to be a few nights when James struggles, but there are also going to be nights when Williams goes wild. The guy is that good offensively.

I’m not even going to throw statistics into this conversation, because they are wildly irrelevant at this point. Instead, let’s say this: Williams has fit in with the Cavaliers better than even he and Ferry could have expected.

The guy is not the consummate point guard, but he can shoot, he can create and he’s fast. Beyond that, he’s got all the (self) confidence Larry Hughes lacked.

A lot of players say winning is all that matters. Then they get in situations where their personal numbers suffer and they start whining about pace, touches and the offensive system. (Now who does that remind you of?)

So far, Williams looks like a winner. I don’t see that changing any time soon.

I think James won’t be the only player the Cavaliers will want to re-sign in the summer of 2010: Like James, Ilgauskas has a player option that will allow him to become an unrestricted free agent. Unlike James, who will almost certainly opt out following next season, Ilgauskas will almost certainly exercise his option and play for the Cavaliers.

The difference is, Ilgauskas’ option kicks in after this season, meaning if, as expected, he elects to play for the $11.5 million he can earn in 2009-10, he will be a free agent the same summer as James.

Here’s hoping the Cavaliers sign Ilgauskas for at least two more seasons. He’s a warrior whose desire to win a title is matched only by that of James. He’s way better than casual basketball fans realize. He’ll always be 7-foot-3. He’ll always be able to shoot. He’s still only 33.

Beyond that, he’s an intelligent, thoughtful, team-oriented player who loves the area. He realizes the Cavaliers have already paid him more than $110 million, much of it while he was sidelined due to foot injuries early in his career.

“Z” won’t be looking to break the bank. Make him a reasonable offer. He’s a reasonable man. The Cavaliers are a reasonable organization. It stands to reason, then, that the two sides should be able to work something out.

I still think an injury along the front line could throw things off track: Other than a serious injury to James — Cleveland fans don’t even want to think about that — the Cavaliers’ primary concern is having big men Ilgauskas, Varejao and, to a slightly lesser extent, Wallace healthy for the playoffs.

Hickson and fellow rookie Darnell Jackson have promise. Veteran Lorenzen Wright is an old war horse. But if any of those three has to play significant minutes in the postseason, there will be a noticeable drop-off.

On a related note, the Cavaliers could try to move Szczerbiak, who is a tradable commodity because he’s earning $13 million in the final year of his contract, later in the season in exchange for a veteran big man.

If I’m Ferry, though, I’d think twice before doing that. Not only is Szczerbiak playing well, but the alternative is Sasha Pavlovic, whose game appears about as often as Halley’s Comet.

I think referring to 1964 might become a thing of the past: If you’ve lived in these parts for any significant amount of time, you know that’s the year the Browns won an NFL championship, the area’s last major sports title.

Sure, a lot can happen between now and June.

Sure, a handful of other teams have equally legitimate title aspirations.

Sure, this is Cleveland.

But it could happen.

Think about it.

Noland may be reached at rickn@ohio.net or 330-721-4061.