Perhaps the most surprising piece of the Cleveland Cavaliers' hot start is the depth the team has enjoyed despite a long-term injury to last year's glue guy Max Strus.
Last season, Strus added a volume shooter with defensive prowess to the Cavaliers in the starting lineup. Although he shot somewhat below league average, his volume and confidence helped Cleveland's spacing across the board. Since Donovan Mitchell joined the Cavs, the franchise searched for a starting-caliber wing to no avail until Strus.
When Strus went down in the preseason with a serious ankle sprain, the Cavaliers could have fallen back and lost that spacing. Coach Kenny Atkinson placed Dean Wade into Strus' spot initially, and Wade took on the role without hesitation. Unfortunately, Wade's recurring injury woes came back and took him out of the rotation once again.
With two wings down, the Cavs turned back to their young wing prospect who had never developed an outside shot - Isaac Okoro. To Okoro's credit, he shot a career-high 39.1 percent last season on decent volume, but defenders still ignored him and shooting fell in the playoffs. Since rejoining the starting five, Okoro has looked like Strus lite.
In nine starts, Strus has averaged 7.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists. From deep, he is connecting on 46.2 percent of his 2.9 attempts per game. Although Okoro's volume is still lower than Strus provides, his role on offense is smaller with the emergence of Evan Mobley's offense and Darius Garland's comeback season.
The Cavaliers should start Okoro for the rest of the season
Not only is Okoro providing the three-point shooting the Cavs need with confidence, but his defense is still elite. Keeping Okoro in this low-usage starting role could help emphasize Strus while maximizing Okoro's defensive capability alongside Mitchell and Garland.
As aforementioned, Strus' best value is his volume and confidence. In the current Cavs offense, Strus would likely not receive as many open opportunities as he did last season. The offensive approach his incredibly balanced and centers around the top four. Both Okoro and Wade served as defense-first wings with solid offensive impact.
Off the bench, however, Strus could be a dynamic spark plug with Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome. This trio could be a lethal combination of slashing, shooting and defense. All three are versatile scorers, and Strus brings greater strength and rebounding. Recently, the Cavaliers have experimented with a three-guard lineup and small ball with just one big man on the floor. This has included stints with Mitchell, Garland and Jerome sharing the court at the same time or Jaylon Tyson or Okoro playing power forward.
When Strus returns, his role could suddenly shift into a combo forward in the second unit, playing as a floor spacer in the frontcourt to help Mobley or Jarrett Allen. Strus has shown he has the chops to defend bigger rivals and chase a loose ball. His fast-pace athleticism and instant catch-and-shoot mentality would be perfect additions to the Cavaliers' bench offense.
Meanwhile for Okoro, keeping him in the starting lineup improves the team's overall defense and gives the Cavs a star stopper. Okoro is notorious for his ability to make star players have a bad night. While both Garland and Mitchell have improved defensively in the past two seasons, Okoro is still the best perimeter defender on the team without any doubt. His offensive leap and confidence should be enough reason to give him the starting spot until further notice.
Atkinson is famous for his player development. He has already proven himself with Mobley and is still focused on finding more ways to have Mobley engaged in the fourth quarter and the most important moments. His development of Okoro is being overlooked, though. Okoro's willingness to shoot and dedication to his offensive role has been a silent X-Factor in this quick 17-1 start.
If Okoro's shooting disappears toward the postseason again, Atkinson could quickly fall back on Strus as the starting three. As it stands, however, the Cleveland Cavaliers' patience with a player who was on the brink of a sign-and-trade all summer has seemingly paid off beyond any expectations.