Max Strus will not make his season debut Friday against the Wizards (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Cavaliers were initially on track to regain Max Strus in the lineup for the first time this season as early as Friday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards. That is no longer the case amid the latest developments.
Sources indicated to RG that Strus had trended in the right direction after recent practices. However, after practicing on Thursday, his ankle did not respond well enough to return as early as initially thought possible.
As head coach Kenny Atkinson described, Strus practiced “pretty hard” this week, and the coaching staff planned to gauge his status after Friday’s shootaround to indicate if he was still on track to play. There was a shift in that plan based on Thursday’s development.
"He’s practiced two days, looks pretty good, but we’ve got to see how he looks tomorrow,” Atkinson said after Thursday’s practice. “We’ll look at shoot-around, see what he looks like, see how he reacts from those two days. Two days were pretty hard, and then we’ll make a determination with the coaches after shootaround."
Strus is coming off a season averaging 12.2 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 35.1 percent from three-point range. Atkinson has yet to coach Strus in regular season games, requiring him to learn nuances of his skill set. He’s studied his game on film in anticipation of how he can deploy the 6-foot-5 sharpshooter upon his return to the lineup.
"Yeah, yes and no. I’ve got to get—just like with all these guys—understand strengths and weaknesses,” Atkinson admitted. “Right now, he’s the one I don’t have a great feel for. I’ve watched a ton of tape, but, you know, until I feel it, I’m anxious to see.”
Atkinson praised Strus’ cutting ability, even referencing recent moments from the practice court. However, Atkinson clarified that it’ll take time to “figure it out,” encouraging patience throughout the process after Strus is back in game action.
“He’s an excellent cutter, that fits. I want to see where that goes. I’ve even seen it in practice these past two days,” Atkinson explained. “He had a slot cut yesterday, and I’m like, ‘There’s our cutter. There’s our guy that can slice through the defense.’ So, I’m anxious to see that, but we’re going to have to figure it out. I’m going to have to get a better feel, and you can only do that through games. I think it’s going to be like the rest of the team—it’s going to take some time."
Whenever Strus returns to the lineup, the Cavaliers are eager to have his skill set back in the fold. Donovan Mitchell compared Strus’s impact to former NBA player Kyle Korver, known for his motion shooting ability, which will add intriguing elements to any offense.
Evan Mobley did not practice on Thursday but is trending toward a return from an ankle injury. He was listed as questionable on the injury report ahead of Friday’s matchup against the Wizards, which aligns with the messaging Atkinson provided reporters after Thursday’s practice.
"He did not practice today. I think it’s day-to-day, like nothing long-term,” Atkinson said about Mobley. “I think it’s caution above all. That being said, he’s not ruled out for tomorrow. We’ll see how he goes through shoot-around and take it from there."
After facing the Wizards, the Cavaliers return to action on Monday against the Brooklyn Nets—providing another chance for Strus to work toward a return. Given how his ankle responded to this week’s, it will be necessary to monitor his progress daily.
Grant Afseth
