Why is summer league valuable? Just look at the Heat’s Max Strus
Max Strus probably won’t have many plays drawn up for him in the final seconds of a tie game when the regular season begins. But he was the clear go-to option with the score tied at 94 in sudden-death double overtime during a Las Vegas Summer League game.
After the Heat won the tip to open double overtime, the ball went right to Strus. The Heat then cleared the floor for the 6-5 wing and he dribbled into an in-rhythm above-the-break three that ended the game just 11 seconds into the period.
“Those are the moments you dream of and want as a player, as a competitor,” Strus said minutes after hitting the game-winning three to cap off a 32-point performance and lift the Heat to a 97-94 summer league win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. “That’s what you want, you want the ball in your hands at the end of the game. Everyone in our huddle was like, ‘Max, send us home.’ That means the world to me. So to have your teammates have the confidence in you and coaches to put the ball in your hands in that situation, you can’t ask for anything else.”
It’s that type of shot and experience that makes summer league so valuable, especially for a player on track to have a spot in the NBA such as Strus, 25. Behind Strus’ play and leadership, the Heat is 2-0 in Las Vegas Summer League and owns a 4-0 overall summer league record after winning both games at the California Classic last week.
The Heat continues its summer league run in Las Vegas on Friday against the Utah Jazz at 5 p.m. (ESPNU).
“It’s huge,” said Strus, who was on a two-way contract with the Heat last season. “It’s gaining me a lot of confidence, and it’s getting me more comfortable playing out there and realizing how good I can be in other spots on the floor. Other ways I can score, and it has given me a role to lead and show these young guys the way to be a professional and play this game. It has been awesome so far, and I don’t want to stop playing. I want to be here until we win it all.”
Strus was promoted to a standard NBA contract this offseason when he signed a two-year minimum deal worth $3.5 million in free agency.
That contract means he will be part of the Heat’s roster next season, and his three-point shooting means he could be a consistent part of the bench rotation. Strus shot just 33.8 percent on threes in 39 games (zero starts) with Miami last season and was streaky at times, but he projects as a knockdown outside shooter and is an efficient 15 of 37 (40.5 percent) from three-point range in summer league this year.
“Just being a more consistent knockdown shooter,” Strus said of his goals this offseason. “That’s probably what we’re going to need from me this year with the Heat. So just working on that. And while I’m out here, just working on every aspect of it. Leadership, putting the ball on the floor a little bit more, coming off ball screens, getting downhill and attacking, scoring and making decisions as well. So just playing overall and getting more comfortable out there.”
Strus’ shooting is what impressed Heat coaches when he arrived to Miami prior to last season, but he showed off other parts of his game along the way. He was efficient around the basket to finish 33 of 36 (91.7 percent) on shots from inside the restricted area last season, and he has taken advantage of his expanded summer league role to use the dribble to create for himself and others more often.
But the results have been mixed, with Strus totaling five assists and 10 turnovers in the three summer league games he has played in. The three-pointer is clearly his biggest offensive weapon, as he has attempted 12 threes per game during summer league.
“I’ve been kind of streaky in my past years, but I’m really locking in on it and working with our shooting coach Rob Fodor and [Chris Quinn] and [Eric Glass] and all these guys every day just to get reps up and reps at it,” said Strus, who has taken spot-up, pull-up and all different forms of threes during summer league. “Just to continue to build habits and keep learning. That’s the biggest thing the Heat provides, their development program is top notch to where every day you’re learning something new or you’re getting better at something.”
Strus has scored more than 25 points in two of the three summer league games he has played in this year. He had 27 points on 5-of-11 shooting on threes in an Aug. 4 win over the Golden State Warriors as part of the California Classic, and recorded 32 points on 7-of-17 shooting on threes in Wednesday’s victory over the Grizzlies in Las Vegas.
According to Synergy, Strus has been among the most efficient offensive players at summer league with 1.05 points scored per possession.
As one of the only players with NBA experience, Strus has also been asked to take on a leadership role with the Heat’s summer team.
“I think it comes natural leading by example,” said Strus, who went undrafted out of DePaul in 2019. “I’ve always been good at that just because that’s just who I am. I go hard every day and that’s just what I do and how I’m built. But vocally, I definitely need to work on it and I’m trying this summer. Malik [Allen] is on me every day to be louder and be more vocal for these guys. I took that to heart, and I think I’m doing a good job of it so far.”
It all comes back to confidence, and a moment like Wednesday’s game-winning shot only helps in that department. That’s the value of summer league.
“He has really grown. Just his confidence level,” Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Allen said. “The thing you notice when he first got here was he was a willing listener and just a very smart worker. That carried on. But I think just his confidence level. The first day he was here, you heard his voice, which is great for these guys. He came in and you felt him when he came in the gym. That for him is a big, big step because that just helps your game grow as well as you get more comfortable in a leadership position.”
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 3:07 PM.
