The Cleveland Cavaliers had quite a solid season last year.
Adding Donovan Mitchell next to Darius Garland was obviously a big win, and the two-headed frontcourt monster of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen was defensively dominant.
However, they struggled to find a fifth closer, someone who could round up their lineup, and that hurt them in the playoffs.
That’s why they pursued former Miami Heat guard/forward Max Strus to help them out, and so far, he’s been quite impressive.
With that in mind, sports pundit Ken Carman had no choice but to give him his flowers.
Now watched Sunday's Cavs game three times.
My concern w/the Cavs getting Strus, was that he might be like a Patriot during the Brady years: take him off the team, and he turns into a pumpkin.So far it's been the opposite. The "Heat Culture" in him is a tide lifting boats.
— Ken Carman (@KenCarman) November 28, 2023
He took to Twitter to admit that he thought he was going to be just another edition of a player who looks excellent in Miami and then struggles mightily as soon as he leaves the Miami Heat, but that hasn’t been the case at all.
Strus plays hard, and it’s evident that Heat Culture still lives within him.
He’s given them another floor-spacer and a guy who will never hesitate to put his body on the line on every single possession.
On top of that, he’s another reliable scoring source when Garland and/or Mitchell aren’t on the floor.
J.B. Bickerstaff’s team still needs to make some major tweaks, and they’re not the strongest contender in the Eastern Conference.
But adding Strus was a step in the right direction, and they’re just another piece away from sitting at the championship contender’s table, at least if they manage to keep Donovan Mitchell around beyond his contract.
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