Cavs head to Milwaukee with familiar habits and plenty of time to change them

For the most part, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the Cavaliers. They’re about where I figured they’d be.

The exception, of course, was blowing a 29-point lead in Philadelphia on opening night. Nobody needs another one of those.

But five games into the season, the Cavs are 3-2 and still figuring things out. Do they look like championship contenders? Not yet. Do they need to look like championship contenders in October? Also no.

Saturday’s visit to the Bucks offers another chance to work on things. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern, with the Cavs seeking their first road win.

Milwaukee is 1-4, but Tyler Herro and the Bucks aren’t going to hand them anything. Besides, this group of Cavs has a habit of playing to the level of its competition.

That’s been the case since around the James Harden trade. That’s a timeline, by the way, not an accusation against Harden.

They were methodically taking apart the Nets last Saturday, then let them back in it. They rallied from big deficits against the Timberwolves and Wizards. In Atlanta, they built a double-digit lead, fell behind by double digits, then came within a Donovan Mitchell three of tying it⁠.

Basically, they’ve looked familiar. Sometimes a little too familiar.

I wouldn’t say they’re going through the motions, although certain stretches can give you that impression. My sense is they’re playing the long game, treating these early weeks almost as an extension of the preseason. There’s nothing wrong with that approach.

Still, Kenny Atkinson has things to clean up. Turnovers. Giving away offensive rebounds. More consistency from the three-point line. We’ve discussed all of it before.

Defensively, though, I think they look more organized and more locked in than last season. That’s the eye test talking. They’ll have breakdowns, but I’ve liked the overall effort.

They’ll be shorthanded Saturday. Jaylon Tyson is out with a right ankle sprain, and Meleek Thomas is questionable with right foot inflammation. That could mean more work for Mario Hezonja⁠, who has given Atkinson some dependable bench minutes.

Anyway, I’m interested in what the Cavs eventually do differently. They don’t have to show us everything Saturday. Holding a lead without making everyone nervous would be something.