CLEVELAND, Ohio — Max Strus doesn’t lead the Cavs in scoring. He’s not their highest-paid player. He’s not even universally accepted as the ideal starter at his position. But according to the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, he’s a crucial piece in unlocking Cleveland’s championship-level offense.
In a data-driven deep dive, Chris Fedor and Ethan Sands explore why Strus remains the critical fifth piece alongside Cleveland’s Core Four, despite persistent debate about whether De’Andre Hunter might be the better option.
“Max was the guy that the Cavs brought in a couple of years ago to bring it all together in their starting lineup, and he has,” Fedor explains, setting the stage for a compelling analysis of Strus’s unique value.
The podcast reveals eye-popping statistics that showcase Strus’s impact beyond traditional box scores. “When you have numbers that say the Cavs as an offense with Max Strus on the floor have a rating of 120.1, you don’t just ignore that,” Fedor argues. “That is astronomically good in today’s NBA.”
What makes these numbers particularly compelling is how they translate to team success.
The five-man lineup featuring Strus alongside Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen has been devastatingly effective.
“When the five-man lineup of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Max Stru, Jared Allen and Evan Mobley outscores opponents by 12.5 points per 100 possessions in nearly 250 regular season minutes, you didn’t just say like, okay, let’s change that because it’s broken,” Fedor points out.
The podcast digs deeper than surface-level stats, exploring how Strus’s movement, cutting, and spacing create opportunities for teammates. His ability to function effectively without dominating the ball proves particularly valuable on a team featuring two ball-dominant guards.
“I think stylistically Max makes more sense based on the other personnel that he could potentially share the floor with,” Fedor explains. “The movement that Max springs, the cutting that Max brings, the floor spacing that Max brings, the fact that he doesn’t need to have the ball in his hands to be as effective, the fact that he can run some two-man stuff with Evan Mobley or two-man stuff with Jarrett Allen.”
This stylistic fit matters tremendously in Kenny Atkinson’s offensive system.
As Fedor notes, “Kenny Atkinson has always had a player with the skill set of Max Strus ... that cutting, that movement, that flow, that rhythm, that floor spacing, that 3-point shooting.”
While acknowledging Strus isn’t perfect – “he’s not a $30 million player” – the podcast emphasizes how his specific skillset addresses the Cavaliers’ offensive needs. His gravity as a shooter creates space for Mitchell’s drives and Mobley’s development. His movement keeps defenses honest and prevents stagnation.
Perhaps most importantly, the podcast highlights the difference between production and impact – a crucial distinction when evaluating Strus’s value.
“He makes an impact on the floor. And that’s, that’s what you’re looking for out of somebody like Max. It’s, it’s not always about production, it’s about impact,” Fedor explains, cutting to the heart of Strus’s value proposition.
This doesn’t mean Strus can’t improve. The podcast identifies several areas where growth could elevate both his game and the team’s ceiling: shooting consistency (moving from 35% to 38% from three), defensive impact, rebounding, and shot selection.
“If he can eliminate some of the more purport flexing shots that sometimes he takes and just understand on this team you’re not on Miami anymore where you’re just like struggling for consistent offense,” Fedor suggests.
For Cavaliers fans debating starting lineup configurations, the Wine and Gold Talk podcast offers compelling evidence for why Strus remains the ideal fifth starter – not because he’s flawless, but because his unique skillset perfectly complements Cleveland’s core pieces.
As the Cavs pursue championship aspirations, understanding Strus’s subtle but profound impact becomes essential. The podcast makes clear: in basketball, sometimes the most valuable players aren’t those who fill the stat sheet, but those who elevate everyone around them.
That’s precisely what Max Strus does for the Cleveland Cavaliers – and why his role remains so crucial to their championship hopes.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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