The Cleveland Cavaliers spent a vast majority of the 2025-26 season waiting for this moment to arrive. After spending months on the sideline, however, Max Strus arrived right on schedule as he swung momentum in Cleveland’s favor during a 126-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round series.
After helping the Cavaliers secure a 1-0 series lead, one thing is abundantly clear: Strus needs consistent minutes and an elevated role as this series progresses.
Strus has been one of Cleveland’s most consistently utilized and outright featured supporting players during his tenure with the team. He averaged 32.0 minutes per game for the Cavaliers in 2023-24 and averaged 25.5 in 2024-25 before jumping to 28.1 during during the 2025 playoffs.
Unfortunately, Strus appeared in just 12 games for the Cavaliers during an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign and has thus become something of an enigma.
Strus silenced those concerns during Game 1, however, with 24 points in 24 minutes. He shot 8-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and even converted all four of his free throws while turning in a sensational showing against the Raptors.
In the process, Strus proved exactly why the Cavaliers need to feature him in their postseason rotation and potentially even make him a starter.
Max Strus goes off in Game 1, proves he can handle more minutes
Strus' performance in Game 1 was a wonderful reminder of both how badly the Cavaliers missed him and how valuable he is when healthy. He’s a career 37.0 percent three-point shooter who has buried 38.9 percent of his attempts since the start of the 2024-25 season, and has even made progress as a playmaker.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Strus has averaged 4.4 assists per 36 minutes—a stellar number considering he isn't necessarily a high-usage player in Cleveland's system.
If the Cavaliers manage to incorporate Strus' playmaking proficiency into the current game plan, then James Harden and Donovan Mitchell will find it significantly easier to work their magic. If Cleveland overburdens their co-stars, however, then Toronto may ultimately find a way to contain them.
Furthermore, Strus will be essential to the cause of matching up against the likes of RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram along the perimeter—on both ends of the floor.
With Jaylon Tyson facing a learning curve as a generally inexperienced player, Strus' veteran status will prove ever more important. He has 64 games of postseason experience, a trip to the NBA Finals, and two appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals on his résumé.
There are still questions that Strus needs to answer, but he's giving Kenny Atkinson every reason to give him a place in the starting lineup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google