Miami Heat: Is Max Strus finally due for his true breakout season?

With the NBA season starting in just a few weeks, the Miami Heat are looking to rebound and follow up the incredible run last season in the regular season and in the NBA Playoffs. With a new season comes new expectations for a lot of the players on the roster, with guys looking to break out all the time.

One player to watch this year for another leap, potentially even his full breakout season, is Miami Heat wing and sniper, Max Strus. Here’s how that might look.

Improving His Own Stat Line

Strus has been improving his game ever since joining the Miami Heat back in the 2020-21 NBA season where he averaged 6.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game. Last year, however, during the 2021-22 NBA season, Strus averaged 10.6 points, three rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, being a factor for the Heat in early and late-game situations.

Miami Heat wing, Max Strus, has improved his game dramatically across his first two years in Miami. Is this the one where he fully and finally breaks out?

Based on those stats, trajectory projections, and Miami Heat’s track record for development, he should at least get close to 14-15 points per contest this year, just in one example. It’s deeper than just the numbers though.

Staying A Team Players

Last year, Max Strus seemed to be clicking with the Miami Heat on both ends of the court. His ability to find his teammates around the court, either in the paint or outside the three-point arc, allows him to create multiple opportunities for different teammates around him.

Watching his game grow with help from Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry, he looks as though he could become a key piece to this Heat team this year. Max Strus is due for a breakout season, as he will take the court this upcoming season, looking to bring new energy and a new style of play, hopefully, one that sees him operate more in the two-point areas and at the cup.

As the Miami Heat start the season against a rival, his hometown team, and a former employer for Strus in the Chicago Bulls, we will see if he can begin to prove if he is really a key factor for this Miami Heat squad—or just another pretty good player.