Whenever Max Strus returns to the court for the Cleveland Cavaliers, be it in February or soon after, he'll be joining a different team than the one he played for last season.
No, this isn't a suggestion that Strus is about to be traded (although that would be smart for the Cavs); rather, it's an acknowledgement of Jaylon Tyson's breakout season, which has earned Tyson a permanent starting position that pushes Strus into a bench role.
Max Strus must embrace being a bench player upon his Cavaliers return
Strus is far more experienced than Tyson, not to mention an underrated athlete. Still, Tyson is superior athletically on the wing, and he's looking like the better overall player right now. The Cavs must keep prioritizing him.
If you're thinking that the one advantage Strus has over Tyson is 3-point shooting, think again. Strus' 36.8 percent mark from downtown for his career falls short of Tyson's astounding 42.7 percent. It's a small sample size for Tyson (87 games), but the point remains -- Strus isn't a better 3-point shooter as of now.
That doesn't mean Strus can't improve the Cavs substantially by adding to their bench scoring. This is a guy who averages double-figures for his career and is as tough and competitive as they come.
He'll inject Cleveland's bench with exactly the kind of fire it needs. Strus can provide greater balance to the depth chart and prevent any lulls in the Cavaliers offense when Donovan Mitchell is resting.
If Cleveland decides to stick with a starting five of Tyson plus the core four (as it should), Kenny Atkinson will have Strus and De'Andre Hunter at his disposal as bench wings. You'd be hard-pressed to find a superior bench wing combo in the entire NBA, provided Hunter and Strus are playing their A game.
Strus wouldn't want to hear this, but there's also a health benefit to him easing his way back in with a limited role. Coming off a Jones fracture that's kept him out of the entire season thus far, he'll need time to re-establish his rhythm and build up his in-game conditioning. Short, violent bursts of action off the bench will beat Strus's lungs back into shape so that he's ready to go for the playoffs.
This season has been a wildly different experience for the Cavs than last year, despite most of the same players involved. It's only fitting that Strus' role will be different once he's back.