Max Strus, the Cavaliers’ biggest off-season acquisition last summer, suffered a foot injury that will cost him at least the first month of the season. Strus has started 107 games over the past two seasons for the Cavs and averaged 11 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while playing 29.3 minutes per game.
A Jones fracture is dangerous for a basketball player because of where it’s located on the foot, between the middle and the base of the fifth metatarsal. That area of the foot doesn’t get as much blood flow, and the blood supply that is there can be displaced by the fracture. As a result, a Jones fracture has much higher rates of non-healing and re-injury.
Strus is expected to be out for three to four months, but it could be much longer. Kevin Durant had a Jones fracture before the 2014-15 season and ended up playing only 27 games. If Strus ends up missing significant time, Cleveland’s wing depth is going to be sorely tested — and its young players will have to step up.
The Cavs traded for De’Andre Hunter at the deadline last season, but gave up wing players Caris Levert and Georges Niang in the deal. They traded small forward Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball in July, which means behind Hunter, the backups are Dean Wade, who is also the backup at power forward, and Sam Merrill, also the backup shooting guard.
Cleveland is going to need one of its recent draft picks to play well, and play a lot of minutes. That could be last year’s No. 20 overall pick Jaylon Tyson, an athletic wing scorer who needs to shoot better than last year’s 34.5% from three-point range. It might also be this year’s No. 49 pick, Tyrese Proctor, who averaged 12.4 points and shot 40.5% from deep at Duke last season. Proctor may have been overshadowed by playing alongside three top-10 picks last season, but he’ll have an opportunity in the first half of next season.
Having Strus might not make or break the Cavaliers’ season, but it could hurt them in terms of seeding and home-court advantage. Of course, Cleveland lost three home games in the second round last year, so perhaps playing at home is underrated.
Still, after a year where the Cavs said goodbye to a number of wing players, they’ll have to hope the ones that are left can cover for Strus’ absence.
