CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Following the Cavaliers' impressive road win against the upstart Philadelphia 76ers, proud nerd Channing Frye compared the team's main bench group -- Frye, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green and Dwyane Wade -- to the Dinobots.

"Individually we're really good," Frye explained. "But then you put us together and we're like this really cohesive unit."

For those that don't know, that's a Transformers reference. The Dinobots are a group of rowdy, powerful Autobots capable of wielding heavy firepower against the opposition. That's certainly fitting. After overwhelming the 76ers, outscoring their bench by 27 points and being responsible for two massive runs, the Cavs' refurbished crew upped their season scoring average, now top 5 in that category.

Oh, and the Dinobots are, of course, dinosaurs. That's an amusing coincidence given the age and experience the Cavs have spearheading their bench.

Earlier this season, Tristan Thompson had already tossed out the Bench Mob moniker. So who knows if Frye's new nickname will stick? But at this point it's hard to quibble with anything the veteran says -- or does.

On Monday night, Frye scored 12 points on 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range in 19 minutes. He also grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists and recorded a pair of steals while holding his own against 7-foot star Joel Embiid on defense. Embiid scored just 12 of his 30 points with Frye on the court, shooting 5-of-14 from the field.

Defense has been the second unit's calling card. Each time LeBron James, head coach Tyronn Lue or Wade -- the leader of the group -- discusses the impact, that's mentioned first.

Despite the Sixers being younger, more athletic and probably faster, the Cavs' veteran-laded bench brought energy, tenacity and all-out hustle, changing the outlook at the end of the first quarter before duplicating that impact at the end of the third quarter.

The foursome boasted an incredible defensive rating of 61.6 while on the court together Monday night. During the eight-game winning streak, the defensive rating is 88.8. And Frye is at the center of it.

On the season, he's the only rotational mainstay with a defensive rating under 100. He also boasts the best net rating -- a team point differential of 19.7 per 100 possessions.

That's not bad for a player who was out of the rotation when training camp broke.

To go along with his surprising defensive lift, Frye is canning 40 percent of his 3-point attempts, the fourth-best mark on the team. That's his primary role: Bring floor spacing and unlock offense. James benefited greatly from it last season, starting the second and fourth quarters with Frye part of the all-shooters lineup. This season, it's Wade getting the assist.

An inconsistent outside shooter, Wade needs space so he can attack the rim or post without having to worry about potential double teams. Being surrounded by Frye, Korver, Green and either J.R. Smith or Iman Shumpert, Wade gets that freedom.

Most nights, Embiid would be willing to leave his assignment, typically a center. But on Monday, Frye stayed outside on the perimeter, pulled Embiid away from the rim and kept Embiid from helping.

That's been the same bind other teams have been dealing with during the winning streak. Then if extra attention comes, Wade uses his high basketball IQ and passing ability to make the defense pay. That's why he's second on the team in assists.

And as usual, Korver and Frye play great off each other, often forcing the defense into a no-win decision when action is run on the same side of the floor.

Replace Frye with a limited offensive player -- Thompson -- and the defense has a bail-out option. The court also gets much more crowded.

Injuries at any point are unfortunate. But in the case of Thompson, who remains sidelined with a calf strain, it made room for Frye and reminded the Cavaliers what they were missing. It also allowed Lue to solidify rotations, identify working lineup combinations and figure out specific roles. The lack of chemistry, communication and consistency, all points of frustration at the beginning of the season, has vanished.

Frye's stellar play has left Lue in an unenviable position. Because he prefers to keep a tight rotation, playing no more than 10 guys, Lue talked to Frye prior to Opening Night, letting him know that minutes would be sporadic. Frye was averaging just 5.0 minutes in the eight games prior to Thompson's injury. He's averaging 13.5 in 12 games since, including 16.8 minutes during the winning streak.

So what happens when Thompson is ready to return and the team reaches full strength?

"It won't be expanded more than 10," Lue said. "Ten's even tough, at times. We've just got to see and go from there."

Frye has earned one of those spots. He deserves to keep the same role. He's been more impactful than Thompson and is a better fit, especially if he continues to play solid defense. Swapping any individual piece will carry enormous risk.

This time, Lue should have to apologize to someone else.