TITLE: Cavaliers Start Max Strus, Move Dean Wade to Bench for Crucial Game 5
SLUG: cavaliers-start-max-strus-move-dean-wade-to-bench-for-crucial-game-5
CONTENT:
The Cleveland Cavaliers will open Wednesday’s Game 5 against the Toronto Raptors with Max Strus in the starting lineup, head coach Kenny Atkinson confirmed before tip-off. Strus replaces defensive forward Dean Wade as the club looks to revive an offense that faltered in two straight road losses.
Cleveland averaged only 96.5 points in Games 3 and 4 at Scotiabank Arena, shooting 36.8 percent overall and 25 percent from three on Sunday while surrendering a late advantage that allowed Toronto to level the series.
“He’s got a lot of experience in the playoffs,” Atkinson said of Strus. “Experience, savvy, IQ—those things translate.”
Since returning from a broken foot in mid-March, Strus has knocked down 40.2 percent of his three-point attempts over 12 games. His postseason résumé includes trips to the playoffs every spring since 2021 and a 36-32 record, highlighted by a starting role on Miami’s 2023 run to the NBA Finals.
Tonight marks the first time Wade, healthy since mid-December, will open a game on the bench. The 6’9″ forward has been instrumental in limiting Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes through four contests, but Atkinson prioritized floor spacing and shooting. Strus is expected to ease defensive pressure on Donovan Mitchell and James Harden by stretching the floor and cutting off the ball.
Strus’ output this series has fluctuated—24, 6, 15 and 1 point—while posting minus-16 and minus-15 in the two defeats. Atkinson, however, dismissed raw plus-minus as a sole indicator, calling Strus “an important piece to what we do.”
Wade’s shift to the second unit could also fortify lineups featuring Evan Mobley at center, giving the Cavaliers additional size to protect the rim and battle on the glass.
Source: Hoops Rumors
