Max Strus’ contact training shines a positive light on his injury return

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson did not offer official medical update on Max Struss before the team’s win over the New York Knicks, but what he had to say is consistent with the idea that the veteran swingman is getting healthier by the day.

“I watched him work on the field today,” Atkinson said Monday night. “It’s been a really positive trend. A lot of movement, contact with coaches, change of direction. So I’ll just tell you that. What that means – when you start playing, all that – I can’t give you. I didn’t even ask.

“I was very pleased and surprised, like, man, he’s starting to get it now.

This is the first instance in which Atkinson mentions that Strus graduated from non-contact court work and conditioning for working against contact. Although it’s only against the coaching staff, it’s a significant development that hints at a comeback.

Strus has yet to play a game this season after suffering a broken left foot in late August just weeks before training camp. The Cavs’ last official statement about the injury came on Jan. 6, indicating that it would take more time to heal. The Strus had a follow-up evaluation four weeks later, but other than Atkinson insisting on his progress, the team hasn’t issued another update since then.

“The hardest thing for him is just being patient,” Cavs president Kobe Altman said in his Zoom call with the media in early February after the deadline. “This injury was a horrible offseason. It took a long time to heal, but he’s making progress. He’s getting back on the floor, and we’re excited to have him for this race, but we’ve certainly been taking our time to make sure he’s 100 percent when he comes back.

“I know nobody’s more excited than him to come back. Nobody’s pushing more than him to come back. But at the same time, we want to make sure he’s 100 percent when he is. And I don’t have a timetable for you on that yet, unfortunately.”

Atkinson recently said Cleveland doesn’t have a target number of games the Strus could play to increase for the postseason. He expects to fit in during the regular season.

“Having Max back anytime before the playoffs would be a huge bonus,” Atkinson said. “I mean, he missed a lot of time last year with his ankle. He’s not 22, is he? A guy with that experience and the way he works in the gym. Of course, he’d like to have a little runway where he gets his rhythm. But as long as we have him for the playoffs, I think it’s a win for us, so he’s had a lot of good game experience.

It will be interesting to see how the Cavs rotation breaks down once Strus is back on the floor. Atkinson has plenty of options to go with a rebuilt core of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Guys like Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Jailon Tison and Keon Ellis have proven their ability to step up when necessary. Unfortunately, someone will have to knock down a peg due to the team’s depth.

“Obviously, thrilled to be getting healthier. We’re almost there,” Atkinson said last week. “Max, that’s kind of the final piece to it, but almost all of it. So I think it’s about the rotation and the lineup. That’s the biggest thing. And also, when everybody’s healthy, obviously, the minutes are distributed differently. People who play a lot might not play as much.

“There’s a lot of moving parts to it, which we all know is a part of it. And everybody has to make sacrifices and play their part. But listen, it’s a good problem to have, with the talent that we have. So we’re excited to see James with the new guys that we’re integrating.”