The Cleveland Cavaliers are hitting the road for their final two preseason games. Cleveland's first stop will be in Motor City to take on the Detroit Pistons. Unfortunately, when the Cavs face the Pistons, Cleveland will be without two rotation pieces and an intriguing prospect. After Cleveland wrapped up practice before heading to Detroit, head coach Kenny Atkinson said the Cavs would be without Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Emoni Bates against the Pistons.

While Merrill could practice despite having tape on his injured wrist, Strus and Bates could not participate. Strus has been dealing with a nagging hip injury he suffered in Cleveland's preseason loss to the Chicago Bulls. The injury initially appeared to be day-to-day, but more than a week later, Strus will still miss action due to the injury.

Bates’ absence comes as no surprise after he underwent arthroscopic surgery in early October to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The forward will be re-evaluated in early November.

Thankfully, Atkinson has stressed that the Cavs are overly cautious with any injured player, and the injuries don't seem very concerning.

“No. No, still not ready. Still day-to-day. Nothing crazy. Sam is also still day-to-day. Just being extra cautious with both of them,” Atkinson said.

It stings for Cleveland to have Strus miss so much time. Without him on the floor, Atkinson has a harder time fleshing out his offensive vision for the Cavs on the court.

The impact of the Cavs missing Max Strus during preseason

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) celebrates after hitting a three point basket during the second half against the Orlando Magic in game seven of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Last season, Strus was one of Cleveland's most crucial three-point shooting threats. He was second in three-pointers made, just behind Donovan Mitchell. Strus's 168 three-point baskets accounted for roughly 15.2% of the Cavs' three-pointers. Behind him last year was Georges Niang, whose 149 made perimeter attempts accounted only for 13.4% of Cleveland's total three-pointers.

While that difference in makes doesn't feel significant, especially with Mitchell healthy, not having Strus long-term can throw a wrench in a lot of what Atkinson is trying to do. Against the Bulls, the Cavs made a concerted effort to force Chicago's defense to react to Cleveland's offensive attack. That was done by peppering the Bulls with assists to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen inside. When Chicago corrected to stop it, the Cavs would kick back out to a wide-open shooter, keeping the Bulls constantly moving.

Sure, Strus didn't take a shot against Chicago. However, he was an active part of Cleveland's defensive bending. Strus would use his three-point gravity to overcorrect, and in turn, he or his teammates would find clean looks at the basket or elsewhere on the perimeter. Not having that to open games, especially when they count, would be hard for the Cavs to find an offensive rhythm to start the season. It's also a double-whammy since Cleveland wants to get Strus comfortable in Atkinson's offense.

Hopefully, the injury is nothing serious, and either Strus plays in Cleveland's preseason finale. However, if Strus is sidelined early into the season, things could be rough out of the gates. Cleveland opens its season on the road against the Toronto Raptors. They then will face the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors in their first ten contests. Having Strus for these big-time opponents will be critical to win.