Kenny Atkinson provides injury update on Max Strus

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus suffered a right hip contusion in the team’s preseason bout against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. Strus exited the contest partway through the second quarter and did not return.

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson somewhat cleared the air on Strus’ injury status the very next day. While Strus did not participate in the team’s practice on Wednesday, Atkinson hinted that he could suit up in Cleveland’s next preseason game versus the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.

Strus didn’t score a single point and totaled two rebounds and one assist before his night was over.

The injury bug hasn’t bitten Strus all that hard in recent years. He has suited up in 68-plus games in each of his last three campaigns in the NBA, including 80 in the 2022-23 regular season, when he was playing for the Heat. Plus, he logged 70 appearances in his first season as a Cavalier.

Considering Strus’ recent injury history doesn’t stand out as troubling and Atkinson hasn’t ruled him out for Thursday’s contest, fans of the Cavaliers seemingly shouldn’t worry about his availability for the start of the 2024-25 regular season.

The start of the Cavaliers’ new season is one fortnight away at this point. Strus and Cleveland will play the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 23 in a game that the Cavaliers should win on paper. The Raptors are in the middle of a rebuild at this time, and the squad won only 25 games a season ago.

Strus will try to build upon what was perhaps a career year from him in his second season in Cleveland. He averaged career-highs in points (12.2), rebounds (4.8), assists (4.0) and steals (0.9) per game in a starting role with the Cavaliers in the 2023-24 regular season.

But if he wants to continue to improve, it’s important that he’s at full strength whenever he takes the floor for Cleveland, which means that maybe the Cavaliers should sit Strus against the Pacers as a precaution. There is logic behind sitting Strus beyond that game as well, considering there isn’t a whole lot to play for in the preseason.