<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-max-strus-sends-return-message-to-cleveland-fans-after-win-over-bucks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Max Strus sends return message to Cavs fans after win over Bucks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-news-Max-Strus-sends-return-message-to-Cleveland-fans-after-win-over-Bucks-Cavs-Nation.jpg"></figure><h1>Max Strus sends return message to Cavs fans after win over Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T20:13:27-08:00">December 20th, 8:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T20:13:27-08:00">December 20th, 8:13pm</time><address><a>Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have arguably been the league’s biggest surprise this season; after being a middle of the pack playoff team in the Eastern Conference over the past two seasons, the Cavs have blossomed into one of the best teams in the association, and they’ve managed to notch the best record in the NBA through December 20th even though they’ve only recently gotten <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-light-logjam-max-strus" rel="noopener">Max Strus back in the active lineup</a> in their 124-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.</p><p>Strus was the Cavs’ main addition in free agency in 2023, and he introduced a different dynamic to the team’s offense as a shooter who thrives off of movement. And in his season debut for the Cavs, he put up nine points on 3-8 shooting from beyond the arc — serving to make the Cleveland squad just a bit deeper.</p><p>After the Cavs’ win over the Bucks, Strus <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1870301950975091010" rel="noopener">gave a heartfelt message</a> to fans who have done nothing but express their utmost support for the league-leading Cleveland team.</p><p>“Cavs fans, appreciate y’all welcoming me back. Thought you forgot about me but I’m back. Appreciate you all. Felt the love. Good win tonight,” Strus said, via the official Cavs account on X (formerly Twitter).</p><p>It might have been easy for Cavs fans to forget about Strus amid the team’s strong start to the season. The team has rotated through a few players at the three, with Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, and Caris LeVert all <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-reacts-unfortunate-isaac-okoro-injury" rel="noopener">logging heavy minutes at the position</a>. Strus’ return will complicate Cleveland’s rotation, but his skillset is worth putting on the floor, as he creates so much space for the team’s offense with his ability to draw defensive attention from the perimeter.</p><p>For now, however, with Strus working his way back from injury, expect him to play close to the 19 minutes he did on Friday as the Cavs figure out their rotation.</p><h2><b>Max Strus improves an already-deep Cavs team</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-guard-Max-Strus-fights-for-loose-ball.jpg"><figcaption>© Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Max Strus’ efficiency from three may not be the best among volume marksmen in the association, but he plays very differently to the Cavs’ other options at the three, making him valuable in his own right. Isaac Okoro is the defensive/cutting specialist, Dean Wade is the low-usage glue guy who can fill multiple roles, while Strus can help grease the wheels of the team’s offense if teams pack the paint against their frontcourt.</p><p>Head coach Kenny Atkinson may not mess with what’s working, so Strus may not be able to feature for the Cavs as heavily as he did last season. But he should still play a role for the stacked 24-4 Cavs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Max Strus sends return message to Cavs fans after win over Bucks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-light-logjam-max-strus');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson sheds light on minutes logjam amid Max Strus return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kenny-Atkinson-sheds-light-on-minutes-logjam-amid-Max-Strus-return-.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson sheds light on minutes logjam amid Max Strus return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T13:14:57-08:00">December 20th, 1:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T13:14:57-08:00">December 20th, 1:14pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik is also an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-max-strus-set-season-debut-ankle-sprain">Cavaliers will be getting some reinforcements back soon</a> on the floor, as Max Strus is set to return against the Milwaukee Bucks. Strus will most likely be on a minutes restriction, but things may get complicated when Issac Okoro comes back, as he’s currently out dealing with an AC joint sprain.</p><p>Head coach Kenny Atkinson has been using a nine and ten-man rotation, and he might consider using an 11-man rotation <a href="https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2024/12/which-cavs-player-will-be-impacted-most-by-max-strus-return-hey-chris.html" rel="noopener">when everybody is healthy</a>.</p><p>“It’s funny, every time we think we’re getting to 11, something happens, and we’re at 10,” Atkinson said via Cavs reporter Chris Fedor. “It’s a little bit of cross that bridge when we come to it. But in my mind, it’s possible we play 11. It’s really going to depend on who is available.”</p><p>Sam Merrill has been playing key minutes for the Cavs due to the injuries of Strus and Okoro, and Atkinson doesn’t think he’ll fall out of the rotation when everyone returns.</p><p>“I don’t see a big dip in his minutes because he’s so valuable to us in certain ways,” Atkinson said of Merrill.</p><p>Despite the injuries, the Cavs still have the best record in the league, and once they get healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they get better as the season progresses.</p><h2>Max Strus returning soon for Cavs</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-max-strus-regular-season-debut-against-bucks" rel="noopener">Max Strus was able to practice</a> with the Cavs this week, and Kenny Atkinson seemed excited about his upcoming return.</p><p>“Super,” Atkinson said when asked about how Strus looked in practice. “Feedback was really good today. I’d say we had a moderate practice. He got through it fine. Now, what does it look like when he wakes up? That’s really going to be the trigger on what happens in the next two games. He looked phenomenal the last two days.”</p><p>Strus was a big part of the Cavs’ success last season, being one of the better three-point shooters in the league. The Cavs have already been shooting threes at a high level this season, and adding Strus to the fold will make them more dangerous as a group.</p><p>Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell continue to lead the backcourt for their Cavs with their playmaking and scoring, while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are manning the frontcourt with their defense. Their role players have also been playing well, which is why they’re at the top of the Eastern Conference. It’ll be interesting to see how they look when everyone is healthy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson sheds light on minutes logjam amid Max Strus return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-max-strus-regular-season-debut-against-bucks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs could see Max Strus make regular season debut against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-news-Cleveland-could-see-Max-Strus-make-regular-season-debut-against-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-Bucks.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs could see Max Strus make regular season debut against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T09:17:52-08:00">December 20th, 9:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T09:17:52-08:00">December 20th, 9:17am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Riding high after an extended siesta, the still injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers will return to action <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-vs-cavaliers-prediction-odds-pick-12-20-2024">when Cleveland takes on</a> the Milwaukee Bucks at home. Last time out, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-calls-bench-star-invaluable">the Cavs defeated</a> the Brooklyn Nets 130-101. The Bucks, meanwhile, just won the 2024 NBA Cup and <a href="https://x.com/Bucks/status/1869232529045397587" rel="noopener">are one of the hottest teams</a> in the NBA.</p><p>This will be the third of four meetings between the Cavs and Bucks this year. Both sides last met in Cleveland, with the Cavs winning 116-114. It was a tough, gritty matchup between two of the Eastern Conference’s best. Cleveland should expect a Milwaukee team looking for revenge in this matchup, especially after making a statement by winning the 2024 NBA Cup.</p><p>So, while the Bucks will be looking for revenge, they’ll also have a massive target on their back after winning the NBA Cup. Unfortunately, both teams are <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-20_09AM.pdf" rel="noopener">dealing with numerous injuries</a> heading into this matchup, making this a grind for either side.</p><h2><b>Who is unavailable for the Bucks against Cleveland?</b></h2><p>Against the Cavs, the Bucks will be without Damian Lillard (calf), AJ Johnson (NBA G League assignment), Chris Livingston (NBA G League assignment), and Tyler Smith (NBA G League assignment).</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-damian-lillard-status-nba-cup-championship-amid-calf-injury">Lillard has been dealing with calf discomfort for a while</a>, and Milwaukee has elected to rest him against Cleveland. Last year, Lillard strained his right Achilles tendon late in the season and missed several playoff games against Indiana. He also strained the soleus in his right calf while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022.</p><p>Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo (patella) and Khris Middleton (illness) are probable for the Bucks against the Cavs. Antetokounmpo has been dealing with patellar soreness since training camp, making his availability game-by-game. Middleton, meanwhile, missed the NBA Cup Championship game due to a nagging, non-COVID-related illness. However, Middleton has recovered and should be available when the Bucks take on the Cavs in Cleveland.</p><h2><b>Will Max Strus return from injury and make his Cavs regular season debut against the Bucks?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-defends-Cavs-Bucks.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Like the Bucks, the Cavs will be without a key contributor. Cleveland forward Isaac Okoro <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1869793126019428664" rel="noopener">recently suffered a right AC joint strain</a> in the Cavs’ win over the Brooklyn Nets. Okoro is expected to miss at least the next two weeks, where he’ll be re-evaluated.</p><p>Losing Okoro is a significant blow to an already thin Cavs wing rotation. Okoro is having a strong season in his fifth year in the league, shooting 49.5% from the field and 49.2% from deep – both career-highs. His perimeter defense remains his best asset, but the ability (or inability) to hit shots is what Cavs fans have taken umbrage with. Okoro has excelled on both sides of the ball this season, which makes the injury much more discouraging.</p><p>A silver lining in the Okoro-sized cloud hanging over Cleveland is that sharpshooter Max Strus could make his much-anticipated regular-season debut. After missing most of the preseason with a hip injury, Strus has also missed 27 consecutive regular-season contests with a nagging ankle injury. However, after working his way back to the court, Strus is considered questionable and will likely be a game-time decision.</p><p>Strus was able to practice with the team on Wednesday and Thursday. How Strus responds to the increased activity will determine whether he can play in either or both of the Cavaliers’ games this weekend.</p><p>“Super,” said head coach Kenny Atkinson when asked about how Strus looked in practice. “Feedback was really good today. I’d say we had a moderate practice. He got through it fine. Now, what does it look like when he wakes up? That’s really going to be the trigger on what happens in the next two games. He looked phenomenal the last two days.”</p><p>Strus has seemed like a perfect fit for the Cavs’ offense, which is currently the second-best in the league. His shooting and cutting should amplify what has already been a potent attack. So, although Okoro is sidelined, Cleveland getting Strus back is a bittersweet reward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs could see Max Strus make regular season debut against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-get-evan-mobley-max-strus-injury-updates-for-nets-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs get Evan Mobley, Max Strus injury updates for Nets game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CAVS-NATION-Cavs-news-Evan-Mobley-Max-Strus-injury-updates-for-Nets-game.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs get Evan Mobley, Max Strus injury updates for Nets game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-16T12:02:14-08:00">December 16th, 12:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-16T12:02:14-08:00">December 16th, 12:02pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Cavs enter with wins in five of the last six games and are coming off a 115-105 win over the Washington Wizards on Friday. However, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-get-evan-mobley-isaac-okoro-injury-updates-wizards-game">Cavs are facing injury issues</a> regarding both Evan Mobley and Max Strus. Per the <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-16_02PM.pdf" rel="noopener">latest injury report</a>,</p><p>Strus is ruled out still due to a right ankle sprain and Mobley is probable with a left ankle sprain.</p><p>Mobley last played on December 8 against the Miami Heat, so he missed just one game against the Wizards. That is huge news for the Cavs since Mobley is the third-leading scorer on the Cavs this season, averaging 18.3 points to go along with 9.1 rebounds. With him on the floor, the Cavs are a much better team, so it’s a positive development for Kenny Atkinson’s team which is having a strong start.</p><p>Strus, on the other hand, was <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-max-strus-set-season-debut-ankle-sprain">reportedly inching closer to a return</a> from his injury and was expected to make his 2024-25 season debut. However, that has not been the case, and Strus has still yet to play in a game this season due to the ankle issue.</p><p>Strus is the problematic one here, especially since he was expected to make his season debut against the Wizards last Friday before ultimately being ruled out of that contest. Now, Strus is out once again as the injury woes continue for Cleveland.</p><p>The Cavs next face off against the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Friday night and the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, so there are a few more days for Strus to get healthy and hopefully make his long-awaited debut.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs get Evan Mobley, Max Strus injury updates for Nets game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-max-strus-cleveland-regular-season-debut-against-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Max Strus won’t make Cavs regular season debut against Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-wont-make-Cleveland-regular-season-debut-against-Wizards.jpg"></figure><h1>Max Strus won’t make Cavs regular season debut against Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T21:06:09-08:00">December 12th, 9:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T21:06:09-08:00">December 12th, 9:06pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Riding high after an extended siesta, the still injury-riddled Cleveland Cavaliers hope to maintain momentum on the road <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-vs-cavaliers-prediction-odds-pick-12-13-2024">when Cleveland takes on</a> the Washington Wizards at home. Last time out, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/heat-use-34-point-tyler-herro-explosion-to-take-down-no-1-cavs">the Cavs lost</a> to the Miami Heat 122-113. The Wizards, meanwhile, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/_/name/wsh/washington-wizards" rel="noopener">are 3-17 in their previous 20 games</a>, sitting at rock bottom in the Eastern Conference.</p><p>This will be the third of four meetings between the Cavs and Wizards this year. Both sides last met in Cleveland, with the Cavs winning 118-87. Cleveland was dominant from wire-to-wire against Washington, never giving the Wizards a shot at any point in the matchup.</p><p>However, with Washington’s horrible start to the year, Cleveland doesn’t want to be the victim of a possible trap game. Unfortunately, both teams are <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-12-12_10PM.pdf" rel="noopener">dealing with numerous injuries</a> heading into this matchup, making this a grind for either side.</p><h2><b>Who is unavailable for the Wizards against Cleveland?</b></h2><p>Against the Cavs, the Wizards will be without Saddiq Bey (ACL), Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Kyshawn George (ankle), Corey Kispert (ankle), Kyle Kuzma (rib), and Tristan Vukcevic (NBA G League assignment, injury recovery).</p><p>Bey, 25, tore his ACL in March, leaving his return timetable in doubt. However, teammate Malcolm Brogdon shared with reporters that Bey is healing quickly.</p><p>“We definitely built a bond, a strong rapport,” Brogdon said. “He’s working, man. He’s actually progressing fast, so we’re going to have to slow him down because he’s doing really well.”</p><p>If an ACL tear takes 9-12 months to heal, his earliest possible return would likely be mid-December. However, regarding Brogdon’s hamstring injury, this will be his fourth straight missed contest due to the injury. So, Bey and Brogdon can recover together on the bench.</p><p>Kuzma, meanwhile, has been sidelined since suffering a rib injury against the Los Angeles Clippers. Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said Kuzma was expected to miss this game against the Cavs.</p><p>The same goes for Vukcevic. The Serbian forward has yet to make his season debut and has no return timeline. Barring a return to practice, the Vukcevic can be considered doubtful for future contests.</p><h2><b>Cavs sharpshooter Max Strus won’t make his regular season debut against Washington</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-dribbles-Jazz-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Like the Wizards, the Cavs will be without several key contributors. Max Strus (ankle) remains sidelined. Cleveland’s matchup with Washington will be the 26th straight regular-season game without Strus. The Cavs sharpshooter sprained his right ankle during individual workouts.</p><p>After confirming the sprain’s severity, it was announced that Strus would be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-updates-max-strus-emoni-bates">Strus isn’t ready to return to the floor but is progressing</a>.</p><p>So, for now, assume that Strus will remain sidelined for the better part of December. It’s disappointing since so many top NBA insiders seemed confident that Strus would make his Cavs regular-season debut at home against the Wizards. Instead, fans will have to wait for Strus to possibly return to action against Cleveland’s next opponent: the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Rounding out the injury report for the Cavs are Craig Porter Jr. (NBA G League assignment) and Emoni Bates (NBA G League assignment), who both are unavailable. Big man Evan Mobley, meanwhile, is dealing with a sprained left ankle, which will likely be a game-time decision. However, swingman Isaac Okoro is listed as probable despite dealing with a bruised knee.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Max Strus won’t make Cavs regular season debut against Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-max-strus-return-matters-cleveland');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why getting back Max Strus matters so much for Cavs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Cavs-news-Why-getting-back-Max-Strus-matters-so-much-for-Cleveland.jpg"></figure><h1>Why getting back Max Strus matters so much for Cavs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-12T11:11:36-08:00">December 12th, 11:11am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-12T11:11:36-08:00">December 12th, 11:11am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a record of 5-7 when Max Strus didn’t play. When <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/max-strus-grit-cavs-game-5-win-magic">Strus was available</a>, the Cavs went 48-34 in the regular season and playoffs. Although Strus’s on-court returns don’t hold the same status as Cleveland superstars like Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, he impacted winning when he was available last season.</p><p>However, it’s been a different story this year with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-updates-max-strus-emoni-bates">Strus sidelined with a nagging ankle injury</a>. Despite not having Strus, the Cavs <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/cle/cleveland-cavaliers" rel="noopener">have roared out to a 21-4 start</a> to the year. Considering how much he impacted winning last year, has Strus’s magic run out?</p><p>Despite the Cavs’ record, it’s not that simple. To his teammates, having Strus return will only make the good times even better.</p><p>“I told him not to come back when we were 15-0,” joked superstar Donovan Mitchell. “He was going to mess up the vibe.”</p><p>“I think even throughout the whole streak and everything it was like, ‘Man. There’s a lot of things we haven’t even gotten to do,'” Mitchell continued. “… His value, I think, goes over a lot of people’s heads.</p><p>“If he’s not having a great shooting night, he’s still doing a lot of different things. His gravity, his offensive rebounding, picking up people at full court. But then he’ll then score 10-12 straight, like he did against Dallas. He does so much for us.</p><p>” … With Max, it’s only going to amplify everything and make it better.”</p><p>Thankfully, Mitchell and his Cleveland teammates don’t have to wait long for Strus to return. Although Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said that Strus’s response to multiple days of practice will determine whether or not he plays against the Washington Wizards, he didn’t rule out Strus playing.</p><h2><b>Sharpshooter Max Strus’s return will give the Cavs an ‘injection of energy’</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-box-out-Cavs-Magic.jpg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If Strus returns to action against Washington, it’ll be his first time in a Cavs uniform in 71 days. That’s a long time away from the court, and no amount of practice can fully prepare anyone for in-game action. That’s why sources have told ClutchPoints that if Strus plays, he’ll be on a minute restriction. However, when it comes to any rust, Mitchell thinks Strus will be a perfect fit for Cleveland on offense.</p><p>“This is perfect,” said Mitchell when asked about Strus’s role in the Cavs’ offense. “Because since we’re enough games in, we fully understand our identity and who we need to be on a nightly basis. With the way we play and him coming back, it’s not going to be a drastic switch. This is literally what he’s created for offensively.”</p><p>Mitchell shared that he sees Strus picking up right where he left off in his two-man game with Evan Mobley. Moreover, since Atkinson wants the Cavs in constant motion on offense, Strus will either bend an opposing defense with his three-point gravity. Or there will be times when Strus gets a clean look if the defense cannot adjust quickly enough.</p><p>“It’s energy, competitiveness, toughness, all the intangibles he plays with he’s bringing them to the table,” said Atkinson about Strus’s impact.</p><p>“… It gives you an injection of injury. After 25 games, you get a little stale. Sometimes, you need that injection of energy, his dynamic presence, his personality, all of it. I think it’s good timing.”</p><p>Whether it’s energy, scoring, playmaking, or grit, Strus is invaluable to Cleveland. Getting him back, even after a dominant start to the season, will only improve things for the Cavs going forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why getting back Max Strus matters so much for Cavs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-max-strus-set-season-debut-ankle-sprain');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Max Strus set for season debut after ankle sprain');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/CAVS-NATION-Max-Strus-set-for-season-debut-after-ankle-sprain.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Max Strus set for season debut after ankle sprain</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-11T12:38:27-08:00">December 11th, 12:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-11T12:38:27-08:00">December 11th, 12:38pm</time><address><a>Matt Wadleigh</a>Matthew Wadleigh was born and raised in Oceanside and resides in Fresno. He lives with his wife and two dogs. He is a huge Southern California sports fan and a retired member of the Fresno State drumline.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have rushed out to an impressive 21-4 record to begin the 2024-25 NBA campaign. As a result, the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-jarrett-allen-hilarious-1-word-answer-scorching-hot-start">Cavs sit in first place</a> in the Eastern Conference and they have the best record in the NBA amid a shocking start. To make things even more impressive, the Cavs have done that without Max Strus.</p><p>The 28-year-old <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-names-options-replace-injured-max-strus">suffered an ankle sprain</a> in October and has yet to suit up for the Cavs this season. However, the Cavs got good news on Wednesday as it was reported that Strus <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1866935472288829700" rel="noopener">will make</a> his season debut on Friday against the Washington Wizards, per Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>“Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus is expected to make his season debut on Friday against the Washington Wizards, sources tell ESPN. Strus suffered an ankle sprain in mid-October. He started in all 70 games played and ranked second on the Cavs in plus-minus last season.”</p><p>Strus played in 70 games for the Cavs and was a full-time starter, so his return is a massive boost. In 2023-24, Strus averaged a career-high 12.2 PPG with 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists. It was also Strus’ first season with the Cavs after spending three years with the Miami Heat.</p><p>In the 2023 offseason, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavaliers-news-max-strus-sign-and-trade-free-agency-4-year-63-million-contract">Strus inked a massive four-year</a>, $63 million deal via a sign-and-trade between the Cavs and Heat. So far, the deal has worked out incredibly well for the Cavs, and Strus even played a big role in the postseason.</p><p>The Cavs’ four-game winning streak ended on Sunday against the Heat, Strus’ former team, but they will look to respond with the next two games coming aginst the Wizards and then the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Nonetheless, even with the Cavs’ impressive start to this season, being able to get Strus back on the court is a huge boost as they try and stay on top of the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Max Strus set for season debut after ankle sprain

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-updates-max-strus-emoni-bates');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives updates on Max Strus and Emoni Bates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0-Kenny-Atkinson-gives-updates-on-Max-Strus-and-Emoni-Bates-0.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives updates on Max Strus and Emoni Bates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-06T11:44:00-08:00">December 6th, 11:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-06T11:44:00-08:00">December 6th, 11:44am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been a while since the Cleveland Cavaliers have been 100% healthy. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-impact-of-max-strus-exiting-preseason-game-early-against-bulls">The Cavs have been without</a> Max Strus since early October after he suffered a hip injury and eventual ankle sprain. Sophomore forward Emoni Bates, meanwhile, hasn’t even touched the floor <a href="https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/emoni-bates-status-update241007" rel="noopener">after undergoing knee surgery</a> before preseason play began.</p><p>Although <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-news-chandler-parsons-roasts-denver-loss-cavs">Cleveland has the NBA’s best record without Strus and Bates</a>, they’d be even more dominant if Strus was available. Mind you, that’s not a slight against Bates. In reality, Bates needs time to refine his game in the NBA G League, while Strus is ready to contribute immediately.</p><p>Either way, thankfully, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson finally updated both forwards, giving fans optimism about the team’s nearing full health.</p><h2><b>What’s the latest on Cavs sharpshooter Max Strus?</b></h2><p>“Man, he’s getting closer,” Atkinson said about Strus’s recovery. “I don’t have a date for you yet. I know he’s done a little contact, which is progress, but [we’re] still waiting.”</p><p>Atkinson hasn’t set a timeline for Strus’s return, but his involvement in contact practice is promising and suggests he could be back soon. Strus aligns well with Atkinson’s offensive plans with his three-point acumen. However, reintegrating him will take time, especially since Atkinson has yet to coach this team at full strength.</p><p>“It’s like we signed a starting player to our team,” Atkinson said about what it will be like adding Strus back to the team. “And now we’re going to have to figure out what that integration looks like? What the progression is that’s not just what we’re doing tactically. It’s a discussion with our performance team [about] what the minute build-up is going to look like.”</p><p>Strus’s return could make finding minutes for everyone in the rotation difficult for Atkinson. Several players, like Ty Jerome and Dean Wade, have stepped up and earned minutes on a nightly basis. Regardless, for Atkinson, it’s a puzzle he’s more than happy to solve.</p><p>“It’s a good problem to have,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes, at this juncture of the season, it’s good to have an injection of energy.”</p><h2><b>What did Kenny Atkinson say about Emoni Bates?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Emoni-Bates-dribbles-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Bates, meanwhile, has been a bit of an enigma in his recovery. A former five-star recruit, Bates was selected 49th overall in the 2023 draft following a pair of up-and-down college seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan. The 20-year-old appeared in just 15 games for Cleveland as a rookie, averaging 2.7 points per game on 30.6% shooting in 8.9 minutes per night.</p><p>Bates showed more promise in 27 Showcase Cup and regular season G League games for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs NBA G League affiliate. In that stretch, Bates averaged 21.6 points on 41.4% shooting, connected 37.1% of his three-point attempts, and grabbed 5.7 rebounds per game.</p><p>The second-year forward has been seen sitting courtside with the team in street clothes. However, Bates could soon return to the practice floor and develop his potential with the Cavs according to Atkinson.</p><p>“He’s progressing,” Atkinson said. “I watched him work out the other day. He wasn’t [doing] contact [work], but moving [he’s] moving at full speed.”</p><p>There’s no denying that he has plenty of potential to be a solid NBA player. However, he still needs to find more consistency for that to happen, especially with his outside shot. That’s why when he’s healthy, Bates will spend most of his time with the Charge getting up to speed with Atkinson’s system and further developing.</p><p>Bates appeared in 15 games last season and shot 30.6% from the floor and 30.3% from behind the arc. He showed a little more promise in the G League, averaging 19.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game while shooting 38.7% from the floor and 34.6% from three.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives updates on Max Strus and Emoni Bates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-dean-wade-max-strus-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives injury updates for Dean Wade and Max Strus');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kenny-Atkinson-gives-injury-updates-for-Dean-Wade-and-Max-Strus.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives injury updates for Dean Wade and Max Strus</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-01T15:52:02-08:00">December 1st, 3:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-01T15:52:02-08:00">December 1st, 3:52pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although the Cleveland Cavaliers have owned the NBA’s <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?dir=A&amp;sort=OFF_RATING" rel="noopener">third-best offense to start the season</a>, they’ll need more firepower to sustain it. That’s why the Cavs and their fans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-cleveland-without-critical-defender-celtics">await news on sharpshooters Dean Wade</a> and Max Strus, who are both sidelined with ankle injuries.</p><p>Unfortunately, the Cavs will have to wait a bit for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-cleveland-without-three-point-threat-bulls">Wade and Strus to return to action</a>. Before Cleveland took on the Boston Celtics at home, head coach Kenny Atkinson updated Wade and Strus’s recovery.</p><p>“How’s Dean progressing,” mused Atkinson when asked about Wade’s recovery. “That’s a good question. I saw him on court yesterday, and he’s sprinting up and down [and] moving well. I don’t think he’s gotten to the contact stage yet. So that means he’s getting closer and progressing. But I don’t see him playing the next game.”</p><p>Wade has now missed six straight games with this nagging ankle injury. He initially suffered the injury in the Cavs’ home win over the Charlotte Hornets. The floor-spacing big man <a href="https://x.com/twithersAP/status/1858331884868276464" rel="noopener">was seen exiting the arena</a> in a walking boot postgame.</p><p>Not having Wade available is a massive blow to a Cavs team that has been dealing with injuries all season. Wade is arguably one of Cleveland’s best defenders and will miss at least the Cavs’ next two games. However, when it comes to Strus’s recovery, things are murky, especially when he returns to the court for Cleveland.</p><h2><b>Where’s Cavs sharpshooter Max Strus at in his recovery?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Max-Strus-celebrates-Cavs.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Strus hasn’t yet suited up for Cleveland during the regular season. The Cavs sharpshooter sprained his right ankle during individual workouts. After confirming the sprain’s severity, it was announced that Strus would be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation. Before Cleveland took on Boston, Atkinson was able to provide some clarity after Strus’s six-week window had passed.</p><p>“He’s progressing,” said Atkinson about Strus. “I can’t, you know, [place] a timetable yet. But he’s progressing. Progressing quickly, I’d say.”</p><p>Given Atkinson’s vague timeline, it would be surprising if Strus made his season debut in December. Swingman Isaac Okoro continues to start at small forward in Strus’ absence. Even when Strus returns, Okoro will likely remain the starting small forward while the Cavs slowly bring Strus along. Hopefully, the three-point marksman will be back sooner rather than later.</p><h2><b>Why Cleveland needs Max Strus and Dean Wade back in their rotation</b></h2><p>Although Strus and Wade give the Cavs even more three-point shooting options, they bring more than marksmanship to the floor. They both bring Cleveland grit and a defensive edge. Both are comfortable doing the dirty work needed to help win, especially with how dynamic Wade has been under Atkinson this season.</p><p>In Wade’s case, it’s his ability as a multifaceted defender. Before Wade suffered his injury against the Hornets, the Cavs <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense?DateTo=11/17/2024&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING" rel="noopener">had a top-ten defense</a>, allowing 110.7 points per 100 possessions and going 15-0 as a team. But since Wade has been sidelined, Cleveland <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense?DateFrom=11/17/2024&amp;DateTo=&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING" rel="noopener">has stumbled to the 11th-worst defense</a>, allowing 116.0 points per 100 possessions and going 2-3 in that span.</p><p>While Wade’s injury has not entirely caused the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-hawks-losses-showcase-biggest-weakness">Cavs’ recent defensive woes</a>, it has played a part. The same can be said for Strus, who, like Wade, boosts Cleveland’s defensive capabilities. Hopefully, both return to the court soon so the Cavs can find stability on either side of the ball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives injury updates for Dean Wade and Max Strus

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-kenny-atkinson-gives-update-on-sharpshooter-max-strus');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives update on sharpshooter Max Strus');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Cavs-news-Kenny-Atkinson-gives-update-on-sharpshooter-Max-Strus.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives update on sharpshooter Max Strus</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-23T15:06:53-08:00">November 23rd, 3:06pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-23T15:26:37-08:00">November 23rd, 3:26pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter Max Strus is <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1847747483637588011" rel="noopener">five weeks into his six-week recovery window</a> after suffering a high ankle sprain injury during the preseason. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-caris-levert-giving-team-spark-with-max-strus-sidelined">in an update from Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson</a>, once Strus is evaluated, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kenny-atkinson-and-max-struss-coaching-were-key-in-cavs-win-over-hornets">the Cleveland forward still needs time</a> to get back on the floor.</p><p>“Max is still a ways away,” Atkinson said.</p><p>Even when Strus is healthy enough to resume more extensive basketball-related activities, he will likely need an extended ramp-up period and be on a minute restriction when he returns to the floor. Strus was initially sidelined because of a right-hip contusion.</p><p>Unfortunately, he sustained a right-ankle sprain during an individual workout. At that time, the Cavs said Strus would be re-evaluated in six weeks. During rehab and recovery, Strus has done minimal on-court activity, limited to light movement and shooting.</p><p>The Cavs just finished up a stretch of playing 17 games in 29 days, which likely led to increased injuries. Cleveland enjoyed having a few days off for a change, as the team had consecutive days without a game for the first time this season.</p><p>“It was great,” Atkinson said about the break. “I think we all needed it. All of us. [We got to] sleep in a little bit, spend time with the family, so it was great.”</p><h2><b>Who was able to practice before the Cavs’ next game?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Max-Strus-rebound-Cavs-Celtics.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Sam Merrill (ankle), Isaac Okoro (ankle), and Darius Garland (groin) were able to participate fully in the team’s first official practice session in weeks. However, Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, and Strus were all unable to practice.</p><p>Wade, who got the first shot at filling in as a starter for injured Strus this season and has shifted into a reserve role, has missed consecutive games because of a sprained ankle suffered on November 17. Atkinson said Wade is “progressing nicely” but offered no official update on when Wade will return.</p><p>Following Cleveland’s practice, Wade went through a light on-court shooting workout. Wade did this alongside team coaching staff members and a few trainers. The Cleveland forward rotated between standstill and movement-based shots, testing the stability and health of his ankle.</p><p>LeVert, meanwhile, has missed four games this season because of a nagging knee injury. The inflammation in his knee requires continued maintenance. Cleveland’s sixth man won’t play in the Cavs’ home game against the Toronto Raptors, and LeVert’s return-to-play timeline remains uncertain.</p><p>Thankfully, Garland and Merrill, who both missed Cleveland’s last game against the New Orleans Pelicans, will be available to play. Garland and Merrill will have chances to rebound from their poor showings against the Boston Celtics, the last time either played.</p><p>Okoro is listed as questionable and will likely be a game-time decision for the Cavs against the Raptors. Hopefully, Okoro will be able to play for Cleveland against Toronto, giving the Cavs a little more oomph off the bench.</p><p>The Cavs’ injuries piled up as they went through the most dense section of their schedule. However, it’s good to see players returning to the floor. Hopefully, Strus can join them soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson gives update on sharpshooter Max Strus

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/kenny-atkinson-and-max-struss-coaching-were-key-in-cavs-win-over-hornets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kenny Atkinson and Max Strus’s coaching were key in Cavs win over Hornets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Cavs-news-Kenny-Atkinson-and-Max-Struss-coaching-were-key-in-win-over-Hornets.jpg"></figure><h1>Kenny Atkinson and Max Strus’s coaching were key in Cavs win over Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-19T09:20:55-08:00">November 19th, 9:20am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-19T11:21:08-08:00">November 19th, 11:21am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For the longest time, defense has been the Cleveland Cavaliers’ identity. Without their defense, Cleveland wouldn’t be where they are right now. When new head coach Kenny Atkinson took the job, the defense was the one thing he didn’t want the Cavs to change. However, in Cleveland’s undefeated start to the season, their defense has sometimes been lacking. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-uniquely-criticized-defense-against-bulls">Atkinson has called out his team’s defensive effort</a>. Against the Charlotte Hornets, the message was the same. If the Cavs didn’t clean up their <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense" rel="noopener">sometimes lackadaisical defense</a>, their unbeaten start to the year would end sooner than expected.</p><p>“I felt like tonight, I felt it like, ‘Is this the one? Is this going to be the one that knocks us out?’ There’s an extra tension on the bench. It’s almost like playoff-like,” Atkinson said. “We don’t want to lose here in front of our fans. I don’t want to lose to Charlotte. I definitely felt that.”</p><h2><b>What adjustment did the Cavs make to beat the Hornets?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Evan-Mobley-dribbles-Cavs-Hornets.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While it might seem simple enough, Cleveland switched from playing man-to-man defense to a zone-based scheme. The Cavs used the zone for 85% of the fourth quarter, limiting the Hornets to just 15 points on 6-of-21 shooting, which helped Cleveland secure its 15th straight win. The game-changing adjustment, however, didn’t come from something Atkinson schemed up. Instead, it came from an unexpected source: sharpshooter Max Strus.</p><p>“Coach Max Strus,” Cavs guard Darius Garland said postgame. “We’re still learning from him, even though he’s on the sideline, he’s still preaching about the zone.</p><p>“The two-three definitely slowed them down from all their driving opportunities and just getting us in rotation a lot. So, I’ll definitely put it on the zone for sure. Saving us.”</p><p>Strus was one of Cleveland’s most impactful players last year. While a nagging ankle injury has kept him sidelined this season, it hasn’t stopped Strus from remaining impactful. During practice, Strus took charge of a drill, directing rotations and explaining how to neutralize driving lanes. The buy-in was immediate. Cavs big man Jarrett Allen, who anchors the zone in the paint, credited Strus’ insights with sparking their defensive resurgence.</p><p>“It’s an excellent scheme about how we guard the zone,” Allen said. “Shout out to Max. He kind of put the zone in. He was a coach for a day telling us where to be and how to guard certain things, and just our energy in the zone. We communicate well. We know when to box out. We know that if Evan goes, I have his back. It’s just a good tandem of movement that works well together.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kenny Atkinson and Max Strus’s coaching were key in Cavs win over Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-max-strus-helped-save-cleveland-15-0-record-bench');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Max Strus helped save Cavs’ 15-0 record from bench');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CAVS-NATION-Cavs-news-How-Max-Strus-helped-save-Clevelands-15-0-record-from-bench.jpg"></figure><h1>How Max Strus helped save Cavs’ 15-0 record from bench</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-18T05:50:52-08:00">November 18th, 5:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-18T05:50:52-08:00">November 18th, 5:50am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik is also an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On the road to the <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-why-donovan-mitchell-out-vs-hornets-cleveland-goes-15-0">Cleveland Cavaliers starting 15-0</a>, they had to switch some things up during their game against the Charlotte Hornets. After giving up 40 points in the third quarter, the Cavs <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/2024/11/17/24299284/cavs-max-struss-zone-defense-saved-the-cavaliers-nba-boston-celtics-darius-garland-miami-heat" rel="noopener">went into a zone</a>, and thanks to help of Max Strus from the bench, they were able to take control and eventually win the game.</p><p>“It’s an excellent zone, it’s an excellent scheme about how we guard the zone, shoutout to Max [Strus],” Jarrett Allen said after the game, via SB Nation’s Jackson Flickinger. “He kind of put the zone in. He was a coach for a day, telling us where to be, and how to guard certain things.”</p><p>“[We’re] still learning from him even though he’s on the sideline,” Darius Garland said. “He’s still preaching about the zone. So even at film [sessions], he’s standing up [at] the board, like pointing where we need to be. So it’s good to see. I mean he knows it really well. Coach Max is doing pretty good.”</p><p>Strus has not suited up for the Cavs this season after suffering a right ankle injury during a workout right before the start of the season. There’s a good chance that Strus could return sometime in December, but as of now, he’s helping in any way that he can while he’s sidelined.</p><h2>The Cavs are now 15-0</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Max-Strus.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Cavs had a tall task to get their win against the Hornets with <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-why-donovan-mitchell-out-vs-hornets-cleveland-goes-15-0">Donovan Mitchell out due to rest</a>. It was a tight game until the fourth quarter, where the Cavs locked down defensively and held the Hornets to 15 points in the quarter. Four players finished the game with 20-plus points, with Darius Garland leading the way with 25 points and 12 assists. One of the main reasons for the win was the zone defense they played in the fourth quarter.</p><p>“The zone definitely saved us,” Darius Garland said. “They were just getting downhill, they’re playing five out, so none of our rim protectors were in the paint. [They were] just driving it and had the swing, swings for wide open threes.”</p><p>The Cavs are still the only undefeated team left in the league, and if they keep playing like this, they may be breaking some records soon with the winning streak. Their next game will be a big one as they face the Boston Celtics in the group stage play of the NBA Cup, and they’re the two teams sitting atop the Eastern Conference right now.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Max Strus helped save Cavs’ 15-0 record from bench

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-caris-levert-giving-team-spark-with-max-strus-sidelined');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Caris LeVert giving team spark with Max Strus sidelined');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Caris-LeVert-giving-team-spark-with-Max-Strus-sidelined.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Caris LeVert giving team spark with Max Strus sidelined</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-31T19:28:28-07:00">October 31st, 7:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-31T19:28:28-07:00">October 31st, 7:28pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has been given a challenging task in his first season. Leading into Cleveland’s 2024-25 regular season, it was announced that sharpshooter Max Strus would miss at least the Cavs’ first 20 games with an ankle injury. With Strus out, Atkinson was forced to turn to forward Dean Wade as Cleveland’s starting small forward.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-dean-wade-is-finding-his-role-under-kenny-atkinson">Wade has been great as part of the Cavs’ starting five</a>. However, not having Strus tested Atkinson’s preference for strength in numbers. At the same time, it’s also led to Atkinson learning more about what’s available from Cleveland’s active roster. It’s also prompted Atkinson to lean more on sixth man Caris LeVert.</p><p>“I texted him the other day, I said, ‘Here we go, you gotta do it all,’” Atkinson recalled of a conversation with Caris LeVert when the news about Strus broke. “He’s the ultimate team guy, the ultimate high-character player. I don’t worry about him too much. For us, it’s really to find that niche. We gotta find it for him, like what that looks like with Max out.”</p><p>LeVert has been an indispensable spark off the bench through the season’s first five games. He’s filled every role the team has asked him to play. LeVert’s adaptability and relentless energy have made him critical in Cleveland’s second unit. But in the Cavs’ recent win over the Los Angeles Lakers, LeVert’s ability under Atkinson reached new heights.</p><h2><b>Caris LeVert gave the Cavs a spark against the Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Scottie-Barnes-gets-beat.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While on the floor with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs didn’t need LeVert’s scoring ability. Instead, they required his ability as a big-bodied playmaker, making it impossible for Los Angeles to defend against several ball-handling threats on the floor.</p><p>With the Lakers unable to defend him, LeVert led Cleveland’s sixth man to rack up six assists. Those six dimes led to 14 of the Cavs’ 42 first-quarter points, Cleveland’s best opening frame and the best start to their early season. LeVert thrived within the Cavs’ offense and took advantage of how Los Angeles defended him, helping build a lead that Cleveland never relented.</p><p>“Every night’s going to be something different, and he continues to provide that for us,” Donovan Mitchell said of LeVert postgame. “So when you have moments where, yeah, DG gets out, gets in foul trouble, different things, you’re able to throw a guy in that knows what he’s doing, able to defend, can score, can be on the ball, off the ball and do all the little things, and it gives us a jolt for sure.”</p><h2><b>Caris LeVert’s second-half boost against Los Angeles sealed the win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LeVert-Drives-Against-Boston.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>LeVert’s six assists in the opening quarter were the only assists he had against the Lakers. However, LeVert scored 11 of his 16 points in the third quarter to help give the Cavs a 20-point lead heading into the final frame. If it weren’t for LeVert finding the balance between his playmaking and scoring, Cleveland could’ve suffered their first loss of the year.</p><p>“Oh man, Caris, I just can’t say enough,” Atkinson said. “We’re imploring him to be a more efficient player. To embrace the catch-and-shoot. He’s such a good ball handler, but man, the way the league is now, we need his shooting, too. So we just love how he’s doing it on both ends.”</p><p>LeVert has scored in double figures in 60% of Cleveland’s games this season, shooting 66.7% from the field and 62.5% from 3-point range. During those scoring outbursts, he’s logged more than four assists every time, showing his balance as a sixth man. After Cleveland’s win over Los Angeles, LeVert ranked first in offensive rating (130.5) and third in net rating (29.6) of players averaging 20 minutes or more. Heading into their upcoming matchup against the Orlando Magic, LeVert is still at the top in either category.</p><p>“It’s just my job just to be ready,” LeVert said. “Foul trouble. Guys maybe not playing well. My job is to come in and kind of do my thing.</p><p>“Another year around these guys has been beneficial for me as well. Another year in my role, doing what I do.”</p><p>To reach their ultimate goal, the Cavs need LeVert at his best. But with the sixth man finding his groove early, it’ll be easier to carry momentum all season long.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Caris LeVert giving team spark with Max Strus sidelined

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-solution-max-strus');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson reveals possible solution to replace Max Strus');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Kenny-Atkinson-reveals-possible-solution-to-replace-Max-Strus.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson reveals possible solution to replace Max Strus</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-21T16:34:12-07:00">October 21st, 4:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-21T16:34:12-07:00">October 21st, 4:34pm</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There are questions about the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into the 2024-25 season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-cleveland-offense-struggle-max-strus-update">most recent for the Cavs</a> is what to do after news broke that Max Strus would be sidelined with an ankle injury. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-news-replace-injured-max-strus-in-clevelands-lineup">Strus was expected to start</a> on Opening Night as part of Cleveland’s standard starting five. But now that Strus <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1847747483637588011/photo/1" rel="noopener">is out for six weeks</a>, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has to find a solution. Would Atkinson go with Dean Wade? How about Caris LeVert? What about Isaac Okoro or even possibly Sam Merrill? With Strus sidelined, Atkinson can leave no stone unturned regarding Cleveland’s starting small forward.</p><p>“We haven’t decided yet,” Atkinson said as the Cavs wrapped up one of their final preseason practices. “We’ll just have to see and study Toronto a little more. See what fits that matchup best, I think, is where we’re at right now.”</p><p>“… Right off the bat, it makes us have to adjust right away. That’s not ideal, but this is also the league, right? You can probably look across the league. There are probably six or seven teams in the same boat. Sometimes, it happens at the beginning of the season. Sometimes, it happens a quarter into the season. This just hit us right away.”</p><p>On paper, Wade is the logical candidate to enter Cleveland’s starting five. A floor-stretching big man who can play three through five, Wade slots nicely as a bridge between the smalls and talls in the Cavs’ Core Four. Wade received the start at small forward in Cleveland’s preseason finale. He’s a player Atkinson has been raving about throughout training camp. But, even with logic and praise making the case for Wade, it isn’t as easy as it might seem.</p><h2><b>Who could start at small forward for the Cavs on opening night?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Dean-Wade-Cavs-Preseason.jpg"><figcaption>Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Last season, Wade started 32 of the 54 games he appeared in while Cleveland dealt with a rash of injuries. But to Atkinson, moving Wade from the reserves to the team’s starting five could ruin the Cavs’ offensive flow and continuity.</p><p>“If you start Dean, then you have to think about what’s after that,” Atkinson explained. “What do those secondary lineups look like? And then, if you want to go small with him at the five, what does that look like? Starting him takes away some options because he can play both big positions, so we’ve got to think about that.”</p><p>So, who else could be a serious option if Atkinson doesn’t go with Wade? While his desired role is to be the team’s sixth man, LeVert could also be a serious option. LeVert has a prior history with Atkinson from their time together with the Brooklyn Nets. So, although LeVert thinks he’s best as a supporter off the bench, he could be the team’s starting small forward.</p><p>“I texted him the other day, I said, ‘Here we go, you’ve got to do it all. You might start, you might come off the bench,’” Atkinson explained. “I think Caris has accepted that role, and he’s done it well for the Cavs. I know in Brooklyn, he did it well for us. He understands that’s his role. He’s the ultimate team guy, the ultimate high-character player. I don’t worry about him too much. For us, it’s really to find that niche. We’ve got to find it for him. What does that look like with Max out? He’s obviously a really good ball-handler, so how does that work with Darius and Donovan? Then what big is best for him to play with? All that stuff comes into play.”</p><p>With Strus out, Atkinson has his first decision as Cleveland’s head coach. It’s why he was hired. To find the best solutions. So, while there might not be a clear answer for every game, Atkinson will take it on a game-by-game approach.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson reveals possible solution to replace Max Strus

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/news/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-names-options-replace-injured-max-strus');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson names options to replace injured Max Strus');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.cavsnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CAVS-NATION-Cavs-news-Kenny-Atkinson-names-options-to-replace-injured-Max-Strus.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs’ Kenny Atkinson names options to replace injured Max Strus</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-21T12:04:14-07:00">October 21st, 12:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-21T12:19:20-07:00">October 21st, 12:19pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints and Cavs Nation, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cavs News</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In light of the many off-season re-signings over the past two summers, the Cleveland Cavaliers have fully invested in their core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. All four starters inked multi-year deals, including <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-gets-100-real-contract-extension">Mitchell’s three-year $150.3 million extension</a>, and are signed through 2027. However, their fifth starter, Max Strus, also signed through 2027, suffered an ankle injury that will keep him sidelined for at least six weeks as Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson assigns his replacement.</p><p>Atkinson’s response to who will replace Strus wasn’t definitive. Still, he did <a href="https://x.com/AmNotEvan/status/1848407005842546827" rel="noopener">mention two players</a> vying for the position ahead of Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Toronto Raptors, per Evan Dammarell’s X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said “we’ll see” based on who will start at small forward with Max Strus sidelined,” Dammarell reported. “Atkinson said that Dean Wade and Caris LeVert are options, and things will be more matchup-based for the six weeks Strus is out.”</p><p>Revered for his 20-point fourth quarter in the Cavs’ 22-point comeback in Cleveland’s 105-104 comeback win against the Boston Celtics, Dean Wade’s regular season was cut short due to a right knee sprain. Then, injuries depleted the Cavs’ roster in the first and second rounds of the NBA playoffs.</p><p>Mitchell suffered a left calf injury in Game 3, forcing him to miss the rest of the second round against the Celtics, and Caris LeVert’s left knee injury forced him to miss the series-clinching Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals’ best-of-7. Either option, between Wade and LeVert, makes sense at the three, considering Wade’s outside touch parallels Strus’ and LeVert’s ability to create off the dribble, adding a dynamic wrinkle to the Cavs’ offense alongside Mitchell.</p><p>Atkinson’s starting five could thrive with either starting at small forward.</p><h2><b>Donovan Mitchell gets 100% real on Cavs contract extension</b></h2><p>Cavs superstar <a href="https://cavsnation.com/news/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-georges-niang-react-unexpected-guardians-heros-hr">Donovan Mitchell is a fan of the Cleveland Guardians</a>. The eight-year All-Star, third with the Cavs, embraces Cleveland’s sports culture. He’s situated nicely during his time in The Land and talked about the calm and peace that came with his three-year extension, per Sirius XM’s NBA Radio.</p><p>“The first year, I tried to fight it, you know? Mitchell said. “You try to be like, ‘No,’ [to the rumors], but after that, it’s like as long as these guys know, everybody in my locker room, that’s where I got to last season, where it’s like, as long as everybody in this building knows what it is, that’s all I can ask for. And now that I’m settled here, it’s freeing.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“You don’t realize how impactful that situation is until you’re out of it”</p><p>Donovan Mitchell talks with <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@worldwidewob</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/adaniels33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ADaniels33</a> about his contract extension in Cleveland putting his mind at ease</p><p>Hear <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cavs</a> Season Preview special on the SiriusXM App: <a href="https://t.co/4dHfwOTnqw">https://t.co/4dHfwOTnqw</a> <a href="https://t.co/PX9QU8okQs">pic.twitter.com/PX9QU8okQs</a></p><p>— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1847316325774852155?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>On Wednesday, Mitchell and the Cavs’ regular season begins on the road against the Raptors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.5	3.0	2.0	-	-

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.5	3.0	2.0	-	-

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