Miami Heat sharpshooter Max Strus showcased his impressive offensive arsenal this offseason in a recent highlight video.
Strus first threw down a windmill dunk, a sign of his continued improvement with his athleticism, which has made him an indispensable part of Miami’s rotation.
Later on, Strus started knocking down plenty of shots from beyond the arc. An elite shooter at the NBA level, Strus made things look easy in a more relaxed setting, draining off-balance shots as well.
Max Strus was putting in work @DenardBros pic.twitter.com/8HGdFUrsK6
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 26, 2022
Heat fans have to love the versatility in Strus’ offensive game, and it’s a major reason why he supplanted Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup in the 2021-22 season for the Heat.
While both Robinson and Strus are great shooters, Strus offers a lot more than Robinson on the offensive and defensive ends. The Heat essentially took Robinson out of the rotation in the playoffs last season while Strus continued to play major minutes.
After playing in just two games for the Chicago Bulls during the 2019-20 season, Strus has carved out a legit role in Miami. Last season, he averaged 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, which were all career-highs. He shot 44.1 percent from the field in the 2021-22 season and an impressive 41.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Strus fits in perfectly alongside Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Bam Adebayo on offense for the Heat. The sharpshooter doesn’t need the ball in his hands at all times to be successful, which is huge when playing with facilitators and ball-dominant players.
Having Strus as an off-ball threat really helped the Heat in the 2021-22 season. The team was plus-5.0 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. For a comparison, Miami was plus-2.3 points per 100 possessions when Robinson was on the floor.
Strus likely won’t be competing in a dunk contest in the near future, but the fact that he’s become such a versatile offensive threat should keep him as an integral player in Miami’s lineup for years to come.
After making the Eastern Conference Finals last season, Strus and the Heat are hoping to find similar success when the 2022-23 regular season begins in October.
