Cavs’ Max Strus Ruled Out for Friday Vs. Wizards

The league-best Cleveland Cavaliers are going to look even more formidable soon, but it won’t be Friday as initially believed. Max Strus will make his season debut soon after suffering an ankle sprain before the season opener, but has been now listed as “OUT” for the Dec. 13 contest against the Washington Wizards.

The Cavs will have both Saturday and Sunday off before playing their next game, against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

Cleveland has been primarily starting Isaac Okoro at small forward in his absence for a defensive boost, though Dean Wade has also made nine starts this season. It’s quite likely Strus will be eased back with a minutes restriction, possibly off the bench. He averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 35.1 percent from three in 70 starts last season. It was his first with the Cavs after leaving the Miami Heat in free agency.

“It’s like we signed a starting player to our team,” Atkinson said at a practice last week. “We’re gonna have to figure out what that integration looks like. What the progression is that’s not just what we’re doing tactically. It’s a discussion with our performance team [about] what the minute build-up is going to look like.”

Strus signed a four-year, $62 million deal last summer.

With a 21-4 record, the Cavs sit atop the Eastern Conference and are currently on pace to have homecourt in the NBA Finals should they get there.