Heat’s Max Strus embracing new starting role: ‘I’m just there to help and provide spacing’
A few weeks ago, Max Strus was wondering whether he would find his way back into the Miami Heat’s rotation this season. A lot has changed for the Heat and Strus since then.
Strus, 26, has started two straight games and was on the court for some of the most important minutes of the Heat’s season down the stretch in Wednesday’s playoff-clinching road win over the Boston Celtics. It’s just the latest chapter of Strus’ second full NBA season.
“It’s crazy,” Strus said of his ever-changing role following Friday’s practice in his hometown of Chicago and ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Bulls at United Center (8 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). “But at the end of the day, your work and your attitude and your mind-set has to stay the same no matter what it is. That’s just the name of the game and how this season has gone.”
With the Heat moving Strus into the starting lineup in place of Duncan Robinson for the last two games, the Kyle Lowry-Strus-Jimmy Butler-P.J. Tucker-Bam Adebayo combination has been effective. Despite only playing 13 minutes together this season before becoming Miami’s new starting unit, the lineup has produced immediate positive results by outscoring opponents by 6.8 points per 100 possessions in 27 minutes during the last two games.
“They’ve had enough practice reps, style-of-play reps to understand how we want to play,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the new starting unit. “I don’t have to give it much more of an analysis. This is just what we’re going with right now and we have to continue to try to improve and get to a higher level.”
Strus hasn’t shot the ball especially well during this stretch, averaging 11 points on 8-of-22 (36.4) percent shooting from the field and 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) shooting on threes in two games since moving into the starting lineup. But he has posted a team-best plus/minus of plus-41 during this span and the Heat is now 10-2 in games that Strus has started this season.
Strus’ goal as a starter is to “knock down shots, just be able to provide room for our guys to get downhill and play their games.”
“I’m just there to help and provide spacing, and then just be solid offensively and defensively,” he added. “Just limit the mistakes and just be as solid as I can.”
As Spoelstra works to play more shooters around Adebayo and Butler to improve the Heat’s offensive spacing, Strus even closed Wednesday’s win over the Celtics instead of Tucker. As part of a lineup that also included Lowry, Tyler Herro, Butler and Adebayo, Strus played the final 7:40 of the game.
Strus made his only three-point attempt to score three points, while also grabbing three rebounds and dishing out one assist during his closing stint, as the Heat outscored the Celtics 21-8 during that stretch to come away with the eight-point win. But it was his defense that stood out late in the game, blocking two shots and drawing a charge in the final three minutes..
“A lot of team off-ball defense,” Spoelstra said of Strus’ improvement as a defender. “That has been a two-year process. He’s really improved in seeing situations happen before they happen, getting to his spots earlier. It helps him be useful on the weak side. He also has some size where he can help out on the glass when he’s on the backside of your defense. Whether he’s rebounding or throwing his body into the mix, it helps.”
What does this new role mean for Strus aside from starting more often?
Strus has played 30-plus minutes in each of the last two games, up from the 23.2 minutes per game he averages for the season. He’s also playing more minutes alongside Adebayo and Butler, averaging 19.7 minutes with those two over the last two games compared to 6.3 minutes for the season.
“I’m already comfortable with those guys, playing with Bam, playing with Jimmy,” said Strus, who is averaging career highs in points (10.4), rebounds (3), assists (1.4) and minutes (23.2) while shooting a career-best 39.7 percent from three-point range this season.
“Putting me in situations in ball screens and stuff like that, it’s just getting guys downhill. I think we’re going to look at every way we can use me to get guys to their strengths. I’m just here to help. I just want to make the game easy on everybody else with spacing.”
On the other end of the Heat’s rotation changes are forward Markieff Morris and guard Victor Oladipo, who have dropped out of the rotation after initially playing consistent roles off the bench upon their returns last month. Morris and Oladipo have not played in the last two games despite both being available.
“It’s not in my control. It’s not my say,” Oladipo said recently of his role in the rotation. “So I’m only focused on what I can control and getting stronger and getting better so I can get back to where I need to be.”
With the way Strus’ playing time has fluctuated at times this season, he’s not even sure what his role will be in a few games. But the possibility of starting a playoff game in the coming weeks has crossed his mind.
“It’s crazy the way my journey has gone,” said Strus, who went undrafted in 2019. “I don’t know what’s next. I just keep taking steps up the ladder. I can’t get to into it. But I just keep being grateful for it. This is what I worked for and want to be, so I’m going to keep striving for those opportunities and keep taking advantage of them.”
▪ Heat forward Caleb Martin practiced Friday and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Bulls. Martin has missed the last two games with a right calf contusion.
Strus (shoulder contusion) and Gabe Vincent (right big toe contusion) are also both listed as questionable.
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 4:29 PM.
