Is Max Strus coming back on Friday night?
ESPN's Shams Charania thought he had the answer to that question a week ago, when he reported that Strus was set to make his season debut last Friday against the Washington Wizards. He ultimately had to walk that back when Strus did not play, and he likewise was not in uniform Monday against the Brooklyn Nets.
With the Cavs' next game Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks, is the situation around Strus any more clear? Did he suffer a setback, or was the reporting from Shams incorrect entirely? Fans of the Cavaliers are filled with questions, and unfortunately, the answers are not flowing freely from the lips of the Cleveland coaches and front office.
Let's dive into our latest Cavaliers Injury Report.
Is Max Strus ready to return?
What we do know about the situation is that Strus has been practicing in full for over a week now, joining in on practices in Miami last week and more in Cleveland in the subsequent days. He is a full participant, running and cutting and shooting as he normally would.
Why isn't he back, then? It seems that one test the organization wants Strus to pass is not having ramifications the day following a practice, and that something about how his ankle responded caused them to throw up a caution flag last week. With the Cavs 23-4 and atop the Eastern Conference, there has not been urgency to get him back in the lineup. An already conservative team when it comes to injuries has all the more reason to take their time.
What we have learned are some details surrounding what it will look like having Strus back on the court and in the rotation. Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor reported on his podcast "Wine and Gold Talk" that there is a "98.2 percent chance he comes off the bench" once he returns. With Isaac Okoro also out (more on him below) that likely means Dean Wade will start for the next handful of games.
Fedor also reported that there will be a strict minutes limit for Strus once he returns, likely in the 18-22 range, and he will be closely monitored throughout the game to ensure he is moving correctly, and that head coach Kenny Atkinson doesn't exceed that limit. It will be adhered to very closely.
When might that return take place? It seems possible that Strus, after taking part fully in Wednesday's practice, could take the court on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks if his ankle continually responds positively. It's also very possible he is out for another game or two before he is given a completely green light.
Will Isaac Okoro miss time?
Isaac Okoro left the game Monday against the Brooklyn Nets after injuring his shoulder, and it kept him out of practice on Wednesday as he received treatment. Okoro is currently listed as questionable to play on Friday vs the Bucks.
The language that Atkinson and others have used about the injury seems to suggest that they expect Okoro to miss time. Given the nature of his role as an on-ball perimeter defender fighting over screens and extending his arms into passing lanes and to contest shots, any limited motion or possibility of reinjury would prompt the team to hold him out. On offense, if his shoulder injury impacts his shot in any way, his thin hold to being a positive offensive player will slip away.
That's why it seems like a safe bet that Okoro will miss time, potentially a few weeks worth of games. That may be an overreaction, and Okoro might be back in the lineup after a game or two, but given all of the contextual factors it's most likely he takes some time to let it fully heal.
Otherwise, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter Jr. are likely outside of the rotation -- especially if Strus returns to the lineup -- but both remain questionable ahead of Friday's game againts the Bucks.