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Cleveland Cavaliers’ Sharpshooter Will Miss Matchup vs Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without Max Strus against the Pistons on Friday.
Justin Grasso|
Nov 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots over the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) shoots over the defense of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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Cleveland CavaliersDetroit Pistons

Heading to Cleveland for their second game of the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons are going to take on an undermanned Cavaliers team. According to the Cavs’ injury report, they will be without the veteran sharpshooter, Max Strus.

The absence of Strus doesn’t come as a surprise. Since the preseason, Strus has been out of the Cavs’ lineup, dealing with his notable setback.

Earlier this month, the Cavaliers put out an official release on Strus, revealing a timeline for his recovery.

“Max Strus sustained a right ankle sprain during individual workouts on Thursday. Strus will be reassessed after six (6) weeks of treatment and rehabilitation.” via @Cavs on X.

While the Cavs expect to have most of their starting core on the court on Friday, Strus is certainly a notable loss for them at the start of the year.

Last season was Strus’ first go-round with the Cavs after spending three seasons with the Miami Heat. He appeared and started in 70 games. Spending 32 minutes on the court, Strus averaged a career-high in scoring, rebounding, and assisting.

Strus produced 12 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the field with the Cavs. He knocked down threes at a 35 percent clip. He also came down with five rebounds per outing and dished out four assists per game.

Last year, Strus took on the Pistons in four matchups. During that stretch of games, Strus averaged 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists. His best outing came in December when he dropped 22 points on the Pistons.

In addition to Strus, the Cavaliers anticipate without a few G League prospects as well. According to the injury report, Emoni Bates, JT Thor, and Luke Travers are listed as out due to their two-way status.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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