The Cavs will be waiting at least a few more weeks for Strus’s return.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been without their ideal starting small forward, Max Strus, for the whole season. He suffered a Jones Fracture to his left foot during an offseason workout at the end of August. This initial timeline stated that he would be expected to resume basketball activities in three to four months. We’re just over four months from the initial injury.
The team released a statement updating Strus’s possible return on Tuesday afternoon. The press release stated that he’s made “positive progress” and is scheduled to be reevaluated in four weeks, and that “next steps will be determined following that evaluation.”
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This is a disappointing development. Four weeks from now would put him being reevaluated at the beginning of February. Presumably, a return to play would be after that point.
The Cavs could use Strus. They’ve struggled to find a fifth starter to fit alongside their core four of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, with Strus out of the lineup. Additionally, head coach Kenny Atkinson has had a difficult time finding bench lineups that work well together. Strus’s well-rounded skill set would help with both.
Cleveland played some of its best basketball last season with Strus on the floor. They outscored opponents by 7.8 points per 100 possessions when he was playing (87th percentile). The year before, they outscored opponents by 5.2 points (80th percentile).
Last season, Strus averaged 9.4 points on .442/.386/.824 shooting splits with 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 50 games played last season.
Category: General Sports
