The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a fantastic start to the season and currently hold the best record in the NBA.
And they have accomplished all of that even without one of their most important players.
Max Strus is still out because of an ankle injury but he could be back soon.
Speaking on “Full Court Cleveland”, Daniel Gibson talked about Cleveland’s plan for Strus’ return.
He said head coach Kenny Atkinson may rely on a ten-man rotation but that might be tougher than it seems.
“It’s hard to do. It’s hard for guys to catch and keep rhythms,” Gibson said.
When Max Strus returns, the #Cavs may run a 10-man rotation. #LetEmKnow
"It's hard to do. It's hard for guys to catch/keep rhythms."
– @BooBysWorld1 pic.twitter.com/a0kDoqkUAZ
— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) November 6, 2024
A ten-man rotation would definitely give Atkinson more options but it would also require that multiple players give up responsibilities and minutes.
In other words, it would mean that everyone has to buy into the plan and believe it’s the right thing to do.
Would Atkinson be able to convince the players to do that, especially with how well they are performing right now?
This will be Strus’ second season with the Cavaliers and he proved to be an important part of the squad last year.
He averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists and started in all 70 games.
How will he adjust to returning to the lineup this season after so much time away?
Because the Cavaliers are doing so well, some people are hesitant to shake things up and risk messing up a good thing.
The return of Strus has a lot of upside but people don’t want the rhythm and chemistry to be thrown off.
That means Atkinson and his coaching staff will have to figure out what to do with Strus long before he’s on the court.
NEXT: Darius Garland Sends A Clear Message On What Jarrett Allen Means To Cavs
