Max Strus Reacts To Returning To Cavaliers Lineup

Cleveland Cavaliers forward, Max Strus, reflect on return from lengthy injury stint.

May 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter of game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

He's back!

After almost a nine-week absence, Max Strus returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers lineup on Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. He only played 19 minutes and scored nine points while shooting 37 percent (3-for-8) from behind the arc.

This version of Strus isn't what fans of his first season with the Wine and Gold have been expecting, but he admitted that "it's going to be a while" to shake some of the rust.

No one expected Strus to score 30 points and shoot over 50 percent from deep. It takes time to get back into a rhythm, especially for someone with Strus' unique skillset.

The bottom line from Friday's convincing victory was that Strus was back on the floor and getting a feel for an NBA game again.

Strus continued, "It was fun to play. Obviously, great we got the win, but it was just fun to be back out there and get to be a part of this ... Adrenaline is a funny thing. But it just felt good to be back on the floor and playing. The juices were definitely flowing."

Thankfully for Strus, the Cavaliers don't need him to return to form as soon as possible. Cleveland is still the best team in the NBA by record and has shown no signs of slowing down, which takes a lot of pressure off Strus.

The shot will come. We'll see Strus' three-point takeovers again soon. As he said, it'll take some time, and once he is back to normal, Strus is going to fit perfectly into this offense.