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One Stat That Will Excite Cavs Fans About Max Strus
The Cleveland Cavaliers' biggest weakness was the number of pure three-point shooters they had on the roster. Yes, both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell were solid shooters behind the arc, but they also gained a lot of attention from defenders forcing them to take unfavorable shots at times.
This meant that Koby Altman had to address this issue and finding a shooter was high on his offseason to-do list. Cleveland got their number one option and pried Max Strus from the Miami Heat and signed him to a four-year deal.
Strus is known for being a sharpshooter who can knock down threes at a high rate. On paper, he should be an upgrade over past small forwards the Cavs have had and could help the offense run much more fluidly.
There is one stat that should really excite Cavs fans for how Strus will fit in next season. That's how well he shoots when left wide open.
Strus shot 42.9 percent on wide-open (no defender within six feet) from behind the three-point line. This was tied with Donovan Mitchell and was similar to other great shooters such as Kyrie Irving, Mikal Bridges, and James Harden.
Having a player who can play off the ball, get open, and knock down open shots should help Cleveland's efficiency on offense. The opposing defense will have to choose between guarding Mitchell while he's driving to the basket or keeping a man on an open Strus.
Either choice they make would be beneficial for the Cavs.
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The Strus deal will be interesting because he is still undersized for a small forward and may hurt the team on defense. But this potential on offense is something Cleveland fans should be optimistic about heading into the season.
