Sports

Cavaliers Game 1 Blueprint: Max Strus's Surprise Stardom and the James Harden Era Starting Hot

Game 1. Cavs and Heat. First playoff game of the season. Everyone's talking about James Harden and what he's gonna do in the playoffs.

But then Max Strus just goes out and leads the team in scoring.

Not Harden. Not Donovan Mitchell. Max Strus.

Nobody Saw This Coming

Max Strus was supposed to be a role guy. He's a three and D guy. You know what I mean. He hits some shots, plays decent defense, gets out of the way. That's his job.

But in Game 1, he was different. He was hitting everything. He was +15 in 28 minutes. He was the guy the Cavs were running offense through when things got tight. He was the difference maker.

I'm not saying Harden didn't show up. He did. But Strus was the one that really won the game.

What Harden Actually Did

Here's what nobody talks about with Harden. It's not always about him scoring. Sometimes it's about him being on the court and making everyone else better.

When Harden has the ball, the defense comes at him. They double team. They collapse. And then Max Strus is open for three. Evan Mobley is rolling to the basket. Donovan Mitchell is one on one.

That's what the trade was supposed to do. Give the other guys room to operate. And in Game 1, it actually worked.

This Is How You Win Playoff Series

You don't win with one guy. Even if that one guy is James Harden. You win when you got four or five guys that can score 15 points on any given night. You win when your role players show up when it matters.

Max Strus showing up in Game 1 tells you something. It tells you the Cavs have got something real here. It tells you they can move the ball. They can get everyone involved. They can win when they're supposed to win.

What's Next

The series is just getting started. Game 1 was important but it's just one win. The Heat are gonna come back. They're gonna make adjustments. The Cavs gotta stay locked in.

But if Game 1 is any indication, this team knows what it's doing. Harden is running the offense. Mitchell is being Mitchell. Mobley is efficient. And guys like Max Strus are stepping up when you need them to step up.

That's playoff basketball right there.

The Cavs showed they can do it. Now they gotta keep doing it for the next seven games and beyond.

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