Miami Heat's Max Strus Realizes He Needs To Be More Aggressive
Leading up to Game 5, Miami Heat fans were calling for Duncan Robinson to break two straight losses to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Max Strus had other plans.
He finished the night with 19 points, 10 rebounds and one assist. Strus caught criticism because he hadn't scored in double-figures this series, making some question if Robinson should replace him in the rotation.
Strus shot 7 of 13 from the field, including four 3-pointers. The Heat were struggling from the arc the past two games, shooting 21 percent. They regained their touch by connecting on 39 percent Tuesday.
For Strus, it was a matter of being more aggressive.
“After those last two games, watching the film, I had to be more aggressive,” Strus said. “I had open looks in Philly, but I just wasn’t shooting them. I think that was the key for me tonight. Just be aggressive and come out firing. Make or miss, it doesn’t matter. Just if I get a look, try to take it and take advantage of what they give me. That was my attitude tonight. Once the first went down, it kind of affected the team. Once you make shots, it opens up everything else for everyone else.”
Strus' rebounds also doubled his previous playoff career-high. Producing in multiple areas increased his impact.
“You don’t have to tell Max to shoot the ball,” forward Jimmy Butler said. “He knows his job and his role on this team. He knows he belongs on this team and in the league. Shooters are going to miss shots. Tonight, he made them. He’s going to take the same shots he took this game next game, and he’s going to make those as well. More than anything, he was the main reason we got stops. He was in the gaps, rebounding the basketball. He told me that was his first double-double. That was good for him.”
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Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
