CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs return to national TV on Wednesday night, hosting a Houston Rockets team that feels less like a regular-season opponent and more like a mirror held up to every standard Cleveland hasn’t consistently met. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

While a 10-5 record looks fine at surface level, the Cavs know the numbers behind it tell a different story. They haven’t played to their identity — or even fully discovered what that identity is supposed to be.

Cleveland still boasts two elite rim protectors and a defensive structure that is keen on pressuring the ball at the point of attack and preventing teams from getting to the scoring zone, yet they sit ninth in the NBA in defensive rating.

Their offense, once the league’s most potent and beautifully balanced,

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