In the midst of constant injury concerns, Max Strus has been one of the only constants for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.
After joining the Cavaliers via sign-and-trade after a monumental run with the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals, Max Strus has looked better than anyone could have expected. As free agency approached, Strus garnered attention across the league for his long range shooting and athletic build. Strus quickly chose the Cavs after speaking with former Cleveland legend Kevin Love in Miami.
The Illinois native entered the NBA undrafted with the Chicago Bulls where he only played two games. The next year, the Heat signed Strus to a minimum deal. He continued to prove himself year-by-year until he became a solidified starter on the perennial playoff squad. His veteran leadership and hustling mindset is exactly what the Cavaliers needed after a humiliating playoff loss to the New York Knicks.
In 18 games, Strus is recording career highs in points, assists and rebounds per game with 14.2, and 4.0 and 5.7, respectively. While Strus was only viewed as a 3-point threat entering this season, his all-around play is nothing short of exceptional.
With every new season, a team's new players typically go through an adjustment period until they find their spot in the system. Georges Niang joined the Cavaliers alongside Strus, but Niang had a slower start than Strus, not hitting a single 3-point shot until his fourth game. Niang, a career 40 percent outside shooter, had to work his way into a new system.
Strus, on the other hand, set a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a team debut with seven 3-pointers in the season opener against the Brooklyn Nets. Although he has had down games, he has been a constant contributor to a team in need of consistency and health. He and Evan Mobley are the only two Cavs starters who have appeared in every outing so far this year.
Throughout his first season with the Cavaliers, Max Strus has impacted the team since day one of training camp. While he is not a superstar, Strus has been a difference-maker for the young Cavs.
Max Strus is unlocking Evan Mobley's potential on Cavaliers
One advantage of Strus' consistent availability has been his chemistry with star big man Evan Mobley. After three seasons playing alongside one of the league's best centers in Bam Adebayo, Strus came to Cleveland and recognized similarities between Mobley and Adebayo.
In Miami, Adebayo often facilitates the offense from the elbow, a trait Strus believed Mobley could incorporate as well. During training camp, Strus asked the Cavs film team to create a reel of Adebayo for Mobley to study. It was the first instance of Strus displaying his intelligence and leadership.
On the court, Strus has assisted Mobley 25 times since opening night, the most of any Cavalier. His crafty playmaking on the wing and shooting abilities have opened up the post for Mobley and his frontcourt partner Jarrett Allen, leading to an improved overall presence down low. The Mobley and Strus connection has been incredibly positive for Cleveland's offense.
With Strus as a screen-and-pop threat and Mobley as a pick-and-roll monster, the Cavs offense has another layer of lethality that was entirely absent last year. For the Cavaliers to take the next step in their growth, maximizing the potential of both players will be crucial.
The Cavaliers are loving Strus' floor spacing, even if it doesn't go down
As aforementioned, Max Strus opened his Cavaliers career with a record-setting seven 3-pointers, but he has not been outstanding from deep every game.
Over the season, Strus has connected on 38.7 percent of his 7.6 3-point attempts per game. His accurate volume shooting is immeasurably valuable, even though he can be streaky. Following his debut, Strus shot 2-of-11 from deep and ended the night with only 8 points. Even though he can have off nights, his presence on the perimeter is forcing opponents to respect him every game.
Long range shooting is not a perfect science, and any variation in form can lead to a string of missed opportunities. What Strus does not lack, though, is the confidence to keep trying. If he stops taking open shots at any point, defenders will pack the paint that game and suffocate the frontcourt.
Instead, Strus knows he will find his rhythm in time. Even if it disappears for two or three games, the fourth game will be fine. That sort of confidence is not an instant trait a player can have. It comes from experience, failures, and a willingness to grow. The Cavs can lack confidence some nights, but Strus has willed them back into the fight with his grit.
In Cleveland's win against the Toronto Raptors, Strus finished the first half with 0 points. In the third quarter, Strus knocked down four shots from downtown and scored 20 total points in a single period. If the entire Cavaliers squad can emulate his unwavering confidence, there will never be a moment that the game is too far gone for a comeback.
Max Strus is changing Cleveland Cavalier culture for the better
All of Strus' efforts and talents are not just helping the Cavs win games. He is changing the culture in Cleveland for the better.
It would be hard to find anyone who watched the Cavaliers be dismantled by the lower-seeded Knicks in the playoffs and believe Cleveland had a winning culture when it matters. The Cavs cannot be entirely blamed for this, either, as plenty of their core had never seen the playoffs before that series. The Knicks' best players all had deep playoff runs in their history, and they were led by a two-time Coach of the Year in Tom Thibodeau.
One playoff embarrassment is enough, though. The Cavs have too much talent to be bounced early year-after-year. This is a year for the team to prove themselves, especially with Donovan Mitchell's extension looming over their heads. Max Strus was a starter on a team that went from the Play-In Tournament to the NBA Finals. If anybody can show the Cavaliers how to win in the playoffs, it is Strus.
Other than Tristan Thompson, Strus is the only player in Cleveland's nightly rotation who has seen the NBA Finals. As the only one in the starting lineup with that experience, he needs to set the tone on the court and show his teammates the right mindset. So far, he has absolutely done this, and the rest of the team will hopefully follow suit as injuries finally subside.
In total, Max Strus' best season of his career so far has been this one. Similarly, Donovan Mitchell had his best season in his first year with the Cavaliers. For all the worthy criticism they face, something is being done right by Cleveland. Time will tell how far they can go, but however far that is, Max Strus is going to continue making the difference wherever he can.