The Cleveland Cavaliers dealt with their fair share of injury problems throughout the 2023-24 season, and it ended up being the undoing of their season as Donovan Mitchell missed the final games of their second-round playoff matchup against the eventual champion Boston Celtics. And it didn’t take long for an injury problem to come back and haunt the Cavs, as Max Strus was ruled out of the entire second half of Cleveland’s preseason-opening 116-112 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Strus reportedly suffered a right hip contusion and it remains unclear just how severe the injury he picked up was. Nonetheless, even if Strus were to miss time, there is a “silver lining” to his potential absence, and that is the opportunity it opens up for Dean Wade to take on an expanded role, as per Ethan Sands of Cleveland.com.
If the spacing Wade provided for the Cavs sufficed, then they would not have signed Strus to a huge deal in last year’s free agency. Regardless, Wade has shown in the past that he can be a helpful, low-usage connective piece in a lineup with two ball-dominant guards (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell), as well as two capable scorers from the interior (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen).
That is where Wade differs from Strus. Strus creates chaos for the opposing defense thanks to his ability to shoot while coming off screens, and it’s his diligent movement on that end that opens up scoring opportunities both for himself and for others. Meanwhile, Wade is more adept at playing within the flow of the Cavs offense, and it’s his plug-and-play nature that makes him a seamless fit in many lineups.
“It just gives us more space. Dean’s a great basketball player, so you can put him on the floor and [he’ll] make plays from there. He can knock down open shots,” Garland said.
Wade also has better size than Strus on the defensive end, which gives the Cavs much more defensive versatility.
“Dean Wade’s just a bigger body, so on the defensive end, we can switch. Overall, it was pretty good,” Mobley added.
Now, a hip contusion should not keep Strus out for a good while, unless he aggravates the injury (knock on wood). But the Cavs have a very good insurance option just in case with Wade.
The Cavs’ multiple dimensions at the three
The good news for the Cavs is that they have plenty of depth to cover for a potential Max Strus absence due to his hip injury. Not only do they have Dean Wade as an option, they can also turn towards Isaac Okoro or Caris LeVert, depending on the need on the night. Those three players have different skillsets, which could then provide different dimensions for the Cavs on either end of the floor.
Wade is the go-to option for when the Cavs need switchable size as well as floor-spacing utility. But if the Cavs need a point-of-attack defender, they can enlist the services of Okoro, the man they signed to a three-year, $38 million deal. Okoro has not progressed as well on the offensive end as the Cavs had hoped, but he is an athletic force who can disrupt opposing ballhandlers.
Meanwhile, if the Cavs somehow need more juice on the offensive end, LeVert is their guy. LeVert drew consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year award last season, and he gives the team more off-the-bounce shot creation as well as difficult shot-making.
