The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost nine of their last 10 games.

They've dropped to third place in the Central division behind the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. With a 19-20 record, the Cavaliers are now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Anderson Varejao is out for the season, Kevin Love is struggling on defense, and Kyrie Irving hasn't shown he can excel without LeBron James on the floor with him. James pushing his coach (shown above) didn't exactly help things either.

The Cavaliers went 1-8 without James during his two week absence.

With so many problems on offense and defense, many NBA experts think James could leave the Cavaliers after this very season. As we all know, James has an opt out clause in his contract the next two seasons, meaning he can test the free agent market both years. As crazy as it may sound, James may leave the Cavaliers high and dry for a second time since 2010.

If James chooses to depart from Cleveland again, he will become the biggest villain in the NBA. James doesn't have a realistic choice; he has to finish what he started. He has to stay with the Cavaliers.

Where else is James going to go with this type of power and authority? It's pretty safe to say that James is the general manager of the Cavaliers at this point. Owner Dan Gilbert took a huge beating from the fans and media last time the two split because he did not get enough talent around James to compete for an NBA championship.

With Love, Irving and so much control over the team, James won't have it better anywhere else. There's no chance James will opt out of his contract and join a Western Conference team because the competition is just too high. Could we see James reunite with the Miami Heat and Pat Riley? That would be something, and odds are, James is regretting he ever left South Beach. But salary cap space and payroll restrictions will probably prevent this from happening.

James has given Cleveland basketball fans a lot to watch over the years, but now it's time to deliver. Cleveland fans have given in to James' every want and desire from day one all the way to "the return." Banners hanging up around the city with "We are all Witnesses" with James wearing the famous No. 23 jersey. Maybe it's time Cleveland fans start witnessing some winning.

Is it possible James was just resting, and he wanted to show his teammates what it was like without him?

At this point, everyone knows James and head coach David Blatt are not on the best of terms. It may not have been a full shove, but the gentle push of Blatt showed everyone who the real coach of the Cavaliers is. Departing the Cavaliers for a second time, and falling short of a championship promise again without even fully committing would be extremely detrimental to James' legacy.

James can definitively join another team with great talent, but he won't be able to make the max contract he so desires. Things don't look great for the Cavaliers right now, and this would be a perfect situation for James to show his elite status by lifting the team in their time of need.

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