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It's been a while since the Cleveland Cavaliers have been 100% healthy. The Cavs have been without Max Strus since early October after he suffered a hip injury and eventual ankle sprain. Sophomore forward Emoni Bates, meanwhile, hasn't even touched the floor after undergoing knee surgery before preseason play began.
Although Cleveland has the NBA's best record without Strus and Bates, they'd be even more dominant if Strus was available. Mind you, that's not a slight against Bates. In reality, Bates needs time to refine his game in the NBA G League, while Strus is ready to contribute immediately.
Either way, thankfully, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson finally updated both forwards, giving fans optimism about the team's nearing full health.
What's the latest on Cavs sharpshooter Max Strus?
“Man, he’s getting closer,” Atkinson said about Strus's recovery. “I don’t have a date for you yet. I know he’s done a little contact, which is progress, but [we’re] still waiting.”
Atkinson hasn't set a timeline for Strus's return, but his involvement in contact practice is promising and suggests he could be back soon. Strus aligns well with Atkinson's offensive plans with his three-point acumen. However, reintegrating him will take time, especially since Atkinson has yet to coach this team at full strength.
“It’s like we signed a starting player to our team,” Atkinson said about what it will be like adding Strus back to the team. “And now we’re going to have to figure out what that integration looks like? What the progression is that’s not just what we’re doing tactically. It’s a discussion with our performance team [about] what the minute build-up is going to look like.”
Strus's return could make finding minutes for everyone in the rotation difficult for Atkinson. Several players, like Ty Jerome and Dean Wade, have stepped up and earned minutes on a nightly basis. Regardless, for Atkinson, it's a puzzle he's more than happy to solve.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Atkinson said. “Sometimes, at this juncture of the season, it’s good to have an injection of energy.”
What did Kenny Atkinson say about Emoni Bates?
Bates, meanwhile, has been a bit of an enigma in his recovery. A former five-star recruit, Bates was selected 49th overall in the 2023 draft following a pair of up-and-down college seasons at Memphis and Eastern Michigan. The 20-year-old appeared in just 15 games for Cleveland as a rookie, averaging 2.7 points per game on 30.6% shooting in 8.9 minutes per night.
Bates showed more promise in 27 Showcase Cup and regular season G League games for the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs NBA G League affiliate. In that stretch, Bates averaged 21.6 points on 41.4% shooting, connected 37.1% of his three-point attempts, and grabbed 5.7 rebounds per game.
The second-year forward has been seen sitting courtside with the team in street clothes. However, Bates could soon return to the practice floor and develop his potential with the Cavs according to Atkinson.
“He’s progressing,” Atkinson said. “I watched him work out the other day. He wasn’t [doing] contact [work], but moving [he’s] moving at full speed.”
There’s no denying that he has plenty of potential to be a solid NBA player. However, he still needs to find more consistency for that to happen, especially with his outside shot. That's why when he's healthy, Bates will spend most of his time with the Charge getting up to speed with Atkinson's system and further developing.
Bates appeared in 15 games last season and shot 30.6% from the floor and 30.3% from behind the arc. He showed a little more promise in the G League, averaging 19.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists a game while shooting 38.7% from the floor and 34.6% from three.
