The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t had a movement shooter like Max Strus in probably five years. Lacking in consistency, it’s an element this offense can truly weaponize to spread the floor for its top players.
Donovan Mitchell knows it because he’s taken advantage of it in the past with the Utah Jazz — namely with Kyle Korver , who ironically came to Salt Lake City via a trade from Cleveland in late November 2018.
“The unpredictability of it, I think that's something that's huge,” Mitchell said at practice. “For opposing defenses, continuously trying to find him and there I have a sneak drive, now I get into the paint, [defenders] collapse, now he's in the corner. He's pulling behind on screens, so now it's like do you go here or do you go there?
"On top of that, you still have Darius Garland on the other wing as well, trying to figure it out, and myself. So I think as a ball-handler, there's so many options that you can kinda manipulate and find throughout the course of a game to kinda free yourself up, but also free him up as well.”
Strus happens to agree with Mitchell.
“I think the actions that he ran off, the type of shots that can shoot, I think I'm capable of,” Strus said at Wednesday’s practice. “No disrespect to Kyle Korver, I think he's a great player, but I just think I have a little more to my game. He's probably a better shooter than I [am], but I think I can do a little bit more with the ball in my hand or getting in the paint and creating for others as well.”
Having a shooter like Strus who moves around the floor and opens the game up for others should prove to be extremely helpful for Cleveland, who’s looking to change how it operates offensively in a multitude of ways this season.
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