INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Shortly after the Cavs learned the severity of Max Strus’ ankle injury, new coach Kenny Atkinson started assembling Plan B.
Strus was expected to start on Wednesday. It was going to be the same enthralling quintet — Strus, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley Jarrett Allen — that was limited to just 28 games together last season because of various injuries. The remainder of Atkinson’s 10- or 11-man rotation was coming into focus as well, with Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome considered the primary reserves.
That was Plan A. Forget about it.
Strus suffered an ankle sprain on Thursday while conducting an individual workout. Already sidelined because of a right hip contusion, that on-court session in Chicago was part of his rehab process — an effort to have him full strength for the Oct. 23 season opener in Toronto. Strus will be out at least six weeks.
So, what’s the new plan?
“We haven’t decided yet,” Atkinson said following the Cavaliers’ practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Monday afternoon. “We’ll just have to see and study Toronto a little more. See what fits that matchup best I think is where we’re at right now.”
Sources tell cleveland.com that Wade, the versatile forward who Atkinson has raved about throughout training camp and who received the start at small forward in the preseason finale, was with the starters at practice on Saturday and Monday — the first two prep days for the Toronto showdown.
While Wade’s wine-colored practice jersey is a hint about his impending role, Atkinson said others are also receiving consideration as the fill-in starter — a status that could fluctuate.
“We like Caris (LeVert) too,” Atkinson said. “It’s not necessarily just those two. It could be somebody else. We have to figure that out. That’s what we’re in the process of doing right now.”
Atkinson’s comments seem more like pregame subterfuge than indecision.
No matter who it is — Wade, LeVert or, theoretically, Okoro — there’s internal confidence that this team is equipped to withstand such a significant early-season absence.
“You always feel terrible for the player, especially Max, as hard as he works and what a vital cog he is to this team,” Atkinson said. “You lose one of your top players, it’s a blow. But we have great depth. A lot of teams could be affected by this. We’ve got some guys that can step in and will help us ‘til he gets back.”
LeVert is the most talented of the three options, someone Atkinson was with in Brooklyn and knows can be trusted.
“I texted him the other day, I said, ‘Here we go, you’ve got to do it all. You might start, you might come off the bench,’” Atkinson explained. “I think Caris has accepted that role, and he’s done it well for the Cavs. I know in Brooklyn he did it well for us. He understands that’s his role. He’s the ultimate team guy, ultimate high-character player. I don’t worry about him too much. For us, it’s really to find that niche. We’ve gotta find it for him. What that looks like with Max out? He’s obviously a really good ball-handler, so, how does that work with Darius and Donovan? Then what big is best for him to play with? All that stuff comes into play.”
LeVert’s ball-dominant style and score-first mentality makes him a bit of a wonky fit in the starting group. But no matter if he starts or comes off the bench, LeVert will have a critical role in Cleveland’s success, just as he has since joining the team midway through the 2021-22 season.
Wade, one of the franchise’s preeminent developmental success stories, started 32 of the 54 games he appeared in because of various injuries. But that was a different coaching staff. Plus, there’s a delicate domino effect to every roster-related choice Atkinson makes without Strus.
“If you start Dean, then you have to think about what’s after that,” Atkinson explained. “What do those secondary lineups look like? And then if you want to go small with him at the 5, what does that look like? Starting him takes away some options because he can play both big positions, so we’ve got to think about that.”
Nonetheless, Atkinson is intrigued by what that fivesome could look like on the defensive end.
“You’ve got Dean, Jarrett and Evan, right off the bat you’re good defensively, so that’s the most important thing,” Atkinson said. “Then offensively, he’s versatile. Obviously, he can shoot the 3, but we’re using him as a cutter a little more. He reads the game really well and is really smart. He’s good connector for that group. We have to have balance. We can’t have the starting lineup really strong and then two lineups down where we’re weak. We’ve got to find that balance — defensive and offensive balance. It’s really our main job as coaches to figure out those things.”
With Strus out, Atkinson has his first decision to make as new coach. It’s why he was hired. To find the best solutions.
“Right off the bat, it makes us have to adjust right away,” Atkinson said. “That’s not ideal, but this is also the league, right? You can probably look across the league, there’s probably six or seven teams in the same boat. Sometimes, it happens at the beginning of the season. Sometimes, it happens a quarter into the season. This just hit us right away.”