The Cleveland Cavaliers are so close to being whole.
The Cleveland Cavaliers could have Max Strus in the lineup soon.
According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Strus "is nearing a return that could happen within the next week."
Strus underwent offseason surgery to repair a Jones fracture in his left foot. The sharpshooter appeared in 50 games for the Cavaliers last season. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 44.2% from the field, 38.6% from beyond the arc and 82.4% from the free-throw line.
In 309 NBA games with the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Cavaliers, Strus is averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He's one of the best shooters in the NBA, so Cleveland's offense will become more dynamic once the DePaul product is back in the lineup.
Strus helped the Heat reach the 2023 NBA Finals. Miami lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games.
“We all know who he is to us,” Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell recently said about Strus. "Just for him to be out there kind of talking to me, talking to James, talking to Dean, talking to Ev, talking to Dennis, Keon, like, whoever, that's another high-IQ player kind of giving you what he sees out there.”
The Cavaliers are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Their trade for future Hall of Famer James Harden has worked out very, very well, as Harden is averaging 19.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game in a Cleveland uniform.
Last season, the Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the East. They swept the Heat in the first round of the playoffs but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
Cleveland is under immense pressure to go on a deep playoff run this year. Let's see if the Wine and Gold can finally compete for a championship for the first time in the second post-LeBron James era.
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