Max Strus is the latest Miami Heat developmental success story

Undrafted coming out of DePaul. Waived by the Boston Celtics. Incurs an ACL injury in his second career game after being signed by the Chicago Bulls. Waived by the Bulls. 12 months of rehab.

It was quite the journey that Max Strus undertook before finding a home with the Miami Heat. Clearly, these various obstacles and red flags did not deter the Heat front office and its developmental staff from latching onto Strus following a genuinely brutal initiation into the league.

Max Strus has overcome a number of challenges in his bid to become the latest in a long line of Miami Heat developmental success stories.

Upon arriving in Miami, Strus initially signed onto a simple training camp deal, which was then converted to a two-way contract for the duration of the 2020-21 season.

Given the challenges of the COVID-ravaged season a year ago, Strus did not face an enviable position, with the challenges at hand being a true nightmare for all involved. In all, the former DePaul product appeared in 39 games, averaging 6.1 points while shooting just under 34 percent from three. While his overall opportunities were fairly limited, the recently-turned 26-year-old had eight games of double-figure scoring, two of which eclipsed the 20-point mark.

And while the Heat were always going to have significant changes following their 4-0 first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, Strus was instead shown the faith of the Heat front office and coaching staff by being handed a new two-year contract extension. To this point, it’s safe to say Strus has rewarded this faith in spades.

In his 68 games this past season, Strus averaged 10.6 points while converting at a terrific 41.0 percent clip from three-point range. But if you dig a little further, Strus’ impact has been even more profound. Given the fickle nature of this season, the Heat have had a heavily rotating roster availability, meaning a number of players have been the chance to step up at different stages of the season.

In 16 games as a starter, Strus averaged 16.1 points while hitting at an excellent 46.9 percent clip from long range on 8.9 attempts per game. But most notably, the Heat recorded a 14-2 record with Strus in the starting lineup, with the Heat compiling a six-game winning streak right at the end of the season when Strus replaced fellow sharpshooter Duncan Robinson in the starting five.

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When asked recently about inserting Strus into the starting opening lineup, head coach Erik Spoelstra explained that it wasn’t just in relation to Strus’ confidence and ability to knock down the three-ball:

"“A lot of team off-ball defense. That has been a two-year process. He’s really improved in seeing situations happen before they happen, getting to his spots earlier. It helps him be useful on the weak side. He also has some size where he can help out on the glass when he’s on the backside of your defense. Whether he’s rebounding or throwing his body into the mix, it helps.”"

While starting a game is important, finishing a game as a productive player is equally as important. In fact, Strus has excelled in the final quarter of games this year. Per Stathead, Strus incredibly led the league with 10 games in which he nailed three or more three-pointers in the fourth quarter, with the trio of Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield, and Patty Mills all next-best at seven games.

On the precipice of his first career playoff showing, the franchise’s latest development success story is clearly just getting started. And it’s certainly safe to say that Max Strus and the Miami Heat will be enjoying a productive partnership for many years to come.