The Strus is loose: 3 ways new acquisition gives Cavs’ offense more juice

Max Strus, Miami Heat. Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Max Strus, Miami Heat. Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Max Strus, Miami Heat. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

No. 2: Mobility/relocation

When Cleveland’s offense is initiating upcourt, Strus will get loose for inside cuts and curl catches against defenders in a weak stance or those ball-watching. In the halfcourt, he is hyperactive, wearing out defenders by running them through picks as he squares up at an opening. The gravity he produces behind the arc will cause opponents to bite on his fakes, guaranteed, opening up the lane and forcing the backline to make a decision in the process.

His most lethal spots are the corners. He attempts 27.4 percent of his field goals there and records 46.1 percent of his tries. When the Cavs go five-out offensively, while on the right or left side, he’ll provide room for Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley to move around the paint. When his teammates recover an offensive rebound, he’ll be in prime position in the corner to sting a rival because defenses usually get sucked in after a shot.

Since he’s a reliable shooter, defenders will try to stay attached to him at all times. When Strus maneuvers around Allen and Mobley’s handoffs, he will receive traps to force turnovers. But the Cavaliers have two vertical threats in the bigs to pass to down the middle.