Player Facts
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 215lbs.
Wingspan: 6'7.5"
Date of Birth: Mar. 28, 1996
College Experience: DePaul (2 years)
Selections
All Star: 0
All-NBA: 0
All-Defensive: 0
Player Grades
Speed/Explosiveness: 7
Physical Strength: 7
Positional Size: 7
Positional Wingspan: 6
Paint Scoring: 7
Midrange Scoring: 3
Three-Point Scoring: 8
Dribbling: 5
Passing: 5
Perimeter Defense: 6
Interior Defense: 4
Rebounding: 6
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STRENGTHS
Intro
Max Strus is a well-built 6-foot-5 player out of DePaul. Three-point shooting is the skill that got him into the NBA, but he has since flashed some other abilities. Max uses his strength to compete on defense and will athletically pursue rebounds.
Portability
Max's offensive skillset is highly scalable and portable. As evidenced by his jump in usage from year-1 in Miami to year-2, added volume doesn't stop him from converting threes at a high rate. This top-notch shooting on both spot-ups and off movement allows him to be effective within various lineup constructions.
Strus now finds himself set for major wing minutes on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Leveraging that malleable skillset will be key to continued success. Knocking down the looks created by Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell will be part and parcel to this.
Shooting Success
The technique he employs on deep shots is simple but effective. For catch-and-shoots, he likes the two-foot hop. He then springs up quickly to achieve good elevation before firing.
The numbers back up Strus' downtown shooting. He finished in the 93rd percentile for spot-up shooting productivity in 2021-2022 (82nd percentile in 2022-2023 across 80 games played).
The solid 65th percentile was his spot for shooting off screens in 2021-2022. Max can decelerate impressively after dead sprinting to get open, squaring himself to the rim nicely in-air. He also keeps his balance nicely when retreating back behind the arc.
Multi-Dribble Offense
Max can even pull off the ball screen too. He nailed 41.3% of his 2021-2022 catch-and-shoots but quietly made 38.4% of a reasonable volume of pull-up 3's. His multi-dribble triple tries are also comprised of his sweet one-dribble/escape dribble sidestep game.
Another manner in which Strus can be used in pick-and-roll actions is as a ghost screener. Max can sprint through the screen rather than setting it. The momentary defensive confusion this provides can open up either a drive or a window for Strus to bang home the three.
Athletic Cutting + Finishing
Above-average is where you could reasonably place the Illinois native as a cutter. Having a good feel for basket cutting is a key complement to have as a dangerous shooter. This way, he can counter defenders denying his use of off-ball picks with a quick back cut.
The undrafted Strus ventures outside of the "shooter" prototype by having some bounce around the rim. He can actually catch lobs on cuts and will fly in for some aerial tip-ins. Straight-line drives off of closeout-attacks can also end in a flush/strong finish for Max.
Max finishes through contact solidly around the basket. He will look to be the aggressor when barreling downhill against the low man. Overall, he made a firm 65.2% in the restricted area across 2022-2023.
DHO Game
He can also get to the rim in addition to shooting threes after defenders lock-and-trail him around DHO's. His 1.2 PPG in dribble-handoffs was the same figure as stars Zach LaVine and Devin Booker (2021-2022). These sorts of plays comprise a sizeable chunk of Max's half-court offense.
Mostly in actions like DHO's, Strus can display his ability to make solid passing reads. He will often opt for the simple bounce pass or lob to his diving big man. His AST/TO ratio was not bad for his role at 1.61 in 2021-2022.
Transition/Early Offense
Max Strus continues to be a valuable player in transition sequences. His uphill gravity sucks players in which provides value for his teammates without even touching the ball.
The DePaul product is no slouch himself though, scoring a sparkling 1.32 points per play on fast breaks in 2021-2022. He's someone you have to locate fast, lethal as a trailer. A stymied open court sequence can simply flow into fruitful early offense with Max playing off a screener.
Competing on Defense
The sturdy Strus can serviceably check positions 2-4. He's vulnerable to elite speed, but most defenders are. Max plays with his feet and leverages his muscle to absorb the chest blow that often comes with the opponent's first move.
Max exhibits a high compete level on defense. This is visible in both on-ball and help-defense (chaser) situations. Inside, he steps in to take charges plus uses his strength to slap down at the ball against drivers.
The 215-pound swingman's greatest defensive merit is the glass-cleaning he offers. Max wedges himself in amongst the trees, using his physicality to mix it up in the paint. His decent size and vertical leaping ability add to his desire to grab boards.
WEAKNESSES
Defensive Minuses
Strus is usually very solid, just not stellar, on the defensive side. He'll know his personnel and stick to the scouting report closely. His bulk allows him to switch up a position or two, but his non-elite agility prevents him from being a great option on smaller guards.
The other prominent gap in his defensive resumé is the absence of strong steals/deflections rates. His middling wingspan is part of the reason for this. Max is positionally sound but would be well served to figure out how to get his hand on the ball some more.
Offensive Growth Opportunities
While effort and physicality paper over some of his defensive weaknesses, the same cannot be said for his offensive holes. A lack of shot creation, suboptimal playmaking chops, and anemic free-throw frequency are all real issues.
His well-defined role does not ask these things of him too much however he would increase his value as a winning player if he could see improvement here.
Max averaged just 3.5 points created for others per game in 2021-2022 (23.8 MPG). Scaling that up to 36 minutes, it remains a weak 5.3. 2022-2023 was statisically more of the same.
He'll willingly move it within the flow of the offense but lacks the ball-handling skills to create advantages for his teammates. Make no mistake, Strus' off-ball shooting gravity can help widen driving lanes for others. The problem area is that he is not much of even a second-side playmaker to create in this way.
The 6'5" wing averaged just 0.5 ball screen possessions per game as the handler (2021-2022). That matched the mark of Jae Crowder and centers Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo.
Max Strus is overwhelmingly an off-the-ball player who must tighten up his handle to reach the next level for himself. Attacking the rim more would also be a wise next step in his development. 2021-2022 had him at just 1.2 FT-attempts per-36.
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