Cleveland Cavaliers’ Max Strus calls being in the playoffs a privilege, but knows that being part of one of the most experienced teams in the postseason carries extra weight.
The Cavs will host the Toronto Raptors, a team that swept Cleveland in the regular season, for Game 1 on Saturday. Which further heightens that burden.
“We know what they like to do, we know how they would like to play, we just got to be mentally tougher,” Strus said concerning the matchup against the Raptors.
“We [got to] find a way to get to that extra gear, find a way to push through fatigue, find a way to push through, um, you know, tough moments and come together as a group and, and, and find a way.”
Toronto swept an understaffed Cavs side, but that’s no excuse
Despite the Raptors claiming three wins over the Cavaliers during the regular season, those victories came early, between October and November.
It was during a period when the Cavs were desperately shorthanded, with several players out due to injury, including Strus, who returned from a foot injury on March 15 against the Dallas Mavericks after missing the first 67 games.
But, to Strus, the record still shows that Toronto got the better of Cleveland. No excuses.
“We didn’t have our full team during that time, but it’s not an excuse,” Strus admits.
“They beat us, they played well against us, and it’s easy to watch film on that and understand the game and the situation and how they do things and how they like to play.
So, we definitely watched those games, we definitely took things from them and learned from them, and hopefully we’ll be better for it.
“Playing in the postseason is a privilege. Not everybody gets to do this. It’s the best time of the year; it’s the best basketball. You live, and you work all season, you work all summer for this moment, and it’s just the best time of the year.”
Strus praises Mitchell’s consistent mindset ahead of Raptors clash
A major point of emphasis for the Raptors in this series will be to limit Donovan Mitchell and reduce their productivity to make life harder for the Cavs.
That could play into the hands of Strus, who has averaged 11.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 12 games this season, shooting 40% from three-point land, and has shown that he can take the offensive responsibility if Mitchell is limited.
Strus knows that he is aware and has praised their consistent drive and mindset throughout the season.
“Don understands the importance and what it takes to win,” Strus says.
“You can say everything you want, you can say about him, that he hasn’t been there, he hasn’t done this, but I’ve never seen a superstar work and care as much as he does.
“The amount of detail, the amount of time he spends on his body, in the weight room, on the court, watching film. Like, there’s not a lot of people that care more than Donovan Mitchell, and I think that says a lot about him, and what he’s willing to do to win.”
