It may come on Monday, when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit Barclays Center in Brooklyn to take on the Nets. It may be later in the week, when the Cavs face the streaking Milwaukee Bucks or the floundering Philadelphia 76ers. In the next handful of days Max Strus will be back.
The Cavaliers' league-best start to the season is only made more impressive by the fact that they have been missing on of their starters for the entire year. Strus suffered a serious ankle sprain in the preseason and hasn't yet played a minute this year. Finally, he will get onto the court and leave an unfortunate group behind.
Trey Murphy III was poised for a breakout season before he suffered a hamstring injury and missed the first 10 games of the season. Kristaps Porzingis had offseason surgery and missed the first five weeks of the season before returning for the Boston Celtics ahead of schedule. Joel Embiid missed the first 11 games of the year for the 76ers, made his debut, and has barely played since. It took some time, but each made it out of the group as well.
That group? It's one you never want to be in, but it's the group of starters who miss the start of the season due to injury.
Max Strus has been in a painful group
There are other unfortunate groups to be a part of, such as those players who are injured during the season and miss the rest of the year (pour one out for De'Anthony Melton and James Wiseman) or those who get hurt right when they are breaking out (Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, take a bow). But perhaps the worst one of all is the group of players who haven't even been able to play a single NBA minute.
There are a handful of players who have yet to make their season debut and figure to fill rotation roles for NBA teams. Mitchell Robinson will factor for the New York Knicks, as will Dante Exum for the Dallas Mavericks. Rookie Devin Carter is hoping to make it back by the end of the season to tag in for the Sacramento Kings.
Yet once Max Strus makes his season debut, only one player will remain in this most painful group, expected starters yet to play a single game. Porzingis, Embiid and Murphy graduated out. Strus is poised to. And that will leave just one player behind: Kawhi Leonard.
The LA Clippers have had to play 26 games and counting without their best player. That's not exactly new territory for them; Leonard has a degenerative leg injury and only ever plays in fits and spurts. They have battled admirably without him, leaning into their defensive identity and sticking around the West playoff picture at 14-12.
Ultimately, however, the Clippers need a healthy Kawhi Leonard in the lineup to make any noise this season, and there is no official word on when he might return. He is beginning to ramp up his basketball activity, so there is hope, but it is undefined and it may ultimately be fleeting if his leg doesn't respond properly.
The Cavaliers have not had to navigate one of their stars being out of the lineup, fortunately enough. The Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans look lost with multiple stars in-and-out of the lineup, while the Orlando Magic have managed to adjust and survive thus far. Cleveland's stars have been healthy, even if their fifth starter has not.
Now Max Strus returns, leaving behind that infamous club and rejoining the land of the living. The Cavaliers hope it's a further boost to an already strong rotation and will only further propel them toward their playoff future. There may be some growing pains, but overall it is an exciting step for the Cavs.
Sorry Kawhi - it's time for Max Strus to move on to bigger and better things, starting for an NBA contender. Maybe one day Kawhi will be healthy enough to do the same.