While the Cleveland Cavaliers have boasted the NBA’s third-best offense to begin the season, they will need additional firepower to maintain it. As a result, the Cavs and their fans are eagerly awaiting updates on sharpshooters Dean Wade and Max Strus, both of whom are currently sidelined due to ankle injuries.
Unfortunately, the Cavs will have to wait a little longer for Wade and Strus to return to action. Ahead of Cleveland’s home game against the Boston Celtics, head coach Kenny Atkinson provided an update on the recovery progress of Wade and Strus.
When asked about Dean Wade’s recovery, Atkinson responded, “How’s Dean progressing? That’s a good question. I saw him on the court yesterday, and he’s sprinting up and down and moving well. I don’t think he’s reached the contact stage yet, so he’s getting closer and making progress. But I don’t expect him to play in the next game.”
Wade has now missed six consecutive games due to a lingering ankle injury, which he sustained during the Cavs’ home victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The versatile big man was seen leaving the arena in a walking boot after the game.
Not having Wade available is a significant setback for a Cavs team already dealing with injuries. Wade is considered one of Cleveland’s top defenders and will be out for at least the next two games. However, Strus’s recovery timeline remains unclear, and it’s uncertain when he will return to the court for the Cavs.
Where’s Cavs sharpshooter Max Strus at in his recovery?
Strus has yet to make his regular-season debut for Cleveland, having sprained his right ankle during individual workouts. After assessing the severity of the sprain, it was determined that Strus would be reevaluated after six weeks of treatment and rehabilitation. Ahead of Cleveland’s game against Boston, Atkinson offered some clarity on Strus’s situation now that his six-week recovery period has ended.
“He’s progressing,” Atkinson said about Strus. “I can’t, you know, [set] a timetable yet, but he’s progressing. Progressing quickly, I’d say.”
With Atkinson’s unclear timeline, it seems unlikely that Strus will make his season debut in December. In the meantime, Isaac Okoro continues to start at small forward in Strus’s absence. Even when Strus returns, Okoro will likely keep his starting role while the Cavs gradually ease Strus back into action. Hopefully, the sharpshooter will be back sooner rather than later.
