MIAMI -- Tyler Herro never knew Max Strus played for the Celtics until Wednesday.
Even though you won’t find regular-season highlights or remember significant memories of the Miami Heat starter facing the franchise that signed him to his first NBA contract, Strus did wear the Celtics' uniform. No. 28, in fact. He intended to play out the 2019-20 season on a two-way contract between Boston and Maine after shooting 45% from three in the 2019 NBA Summer League.
Then, before Strus posted a solid preseason performance with 14 points in 17 minutes against Cleveland, the Celtics reversed course and removed him from the contract to retain Tacko Fall in his two-way slot. Boston converted Strus to a standard roster contract, but not for long as fellow rookie Javonte Green had already proven himself with his burst, springy dunking ability and perimeter size. Strus showed he could shoot the three and featured some size on the perimeter himself at 6-foot-5, but an uncharacteristically intense and consequential 15th roster spot battle ended with Strus released. Now, two seasons later, he’s become a crucial contributor to the top-seeded Heat opposite of some of his former teammates in these Eastern Conference Finals. Green, Fall and Tremont Waters, Boston’s other two-way signing that summer, have all since moved on from the Celtics.
“They waited until the last minute of the last day they could (finalize the roster),” Strus told Boston Sports Journal in an exclusive interview at Heat practice before Game 2. “I know it was a hard decision for them and (Danny Ainge) told me it was a hard decision. Brad (Stevens) said it was a hard decision. I just tried to do whatever I could to be there.”
Erik Spoelstra admitted he didn’t know Strus either, the DePaul product from Chicago, when Strus moved on from the Celtics to the Bulls in the aftermath of his release. Strus tore his ACL with his new team's G-League affiliate early that season and embarked on both a year-long recovery and search for his third NBA franchise with only five games under his belt as a 23-year-old rookie, older than most.
Adam Simon, the Heat's assistant general manager, first showed the film of the unheralded rookie to Spoelstra before the 2020-21 season. One week before Miami signed him to a two-way deal on the eve of the season. Simon and Spoelstra already had an array of wings between Herro, Duncan Robinson, Kelly Olynyk and Andre Iguodala, but the team lost Jae Crowder in free agency after its NBA Finals run and added Strus to the depth mix at the bottom of the roster alongside KZ Okpala and Gabe Vincent.
"That was the first time I'd ever seen him play," Spoelstra told BSJ at practice. "I don't really notice or care about (how many shots he hit). It's more about the approach, the professionalism, the work ethic and then having the grit and perseverance and mental stability to do that consistently during a long NBA season. Anybody can do it for a week or its going great at the beginning, but then you get three months into the season, I think we all get revealed what our makeup is. Both those guys, (Strus and Vincent), ferocious and consistent with their work ethic, that's probably what I noticed with Max three or four months through the last of the season, and then staying consistent, even when he was out of the rotation. That can sometimes set guys a little bit sideways and it didn't."
Herro, himself a second-year player who quickly ascended to the top of the Heat’s hierarchy as a rookie, recalled Strus not missing a shot the first time he saw him on the floor. That's when he knew Strus wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, he told BSJ. The Heat entered the 2020-21 season building the framework of its second eastern conference finals team in three seasons. On Tuesday, with Kyle Lowry injured, Miami became the first conference finalist to start two undrafted rookies in Vincent and Strus. Interchangeability and depth became the Heat's mantra this season, but Strus stresses it isn't as easy as it looks. It takes talent that the team identified in all of them, including rookie center Omer Yurtseven who made a similarly surprising impact in spots this season.
Strus keyed the Heat's 22-2 run out of halftime with a pull-up three from P.J. Tucker's dribble handoff and a steal on Jayson Tatum leading to a runaway dunk and victory for Miami in Game 1. The forward effectively claimed Robinson's role this season, signed to a two-year, $3.4-million contract. In January, he returned to TD Garden and scored 27 points on 9-for-17 three-point shooting, officially joining Herro, Tyrese Haliburton and Desmond Bane among names of top prospects that barely eluded the Celtics in recent years. Except Strus, who returned to Boston again in March to lock down Jaylen Brown in crunch time, blocking two shots alongside 14 points and three steals in the Heat win, actually wore a Boston uniform. He insists this series isn't about revenge.
"I’m cool with some people over there, but this is bigger than me," he told BSJ. "This is the Eastern Conference Finals. This is not about me personally. So I’m not making it that way. I have some friends over there, no hate toward anybody, but it’s a battle and we’re here to win a series.”
Bam Adebayo burst into laughter when he heard Herro didn't know Strus played for the Celtics, because he didn't have a clue until practice between the first two games of this series either. Adebayo initially saw a player who struggled to shoot on the move in Strus, but as a catch-and-shoot threat, he could let it fly at high volumes without hesitation. Vincent and Strus, in some of their first run for the team in 2020, entered a game against the Clippers and unleashed 30-footers off the bench, converting as many threes between them, six, as the Heat's starters combined for.
Strus didn't feel like Miami was home though until he entered his second year with the team this season, with a new contract in hand and another Summer League under his belt. He averaged 20.8 points per game in Las Vegas on 40% three-point shooting, free to fire away 11.3 times per game from deep and added a layer of aggression to his game. That flowed into a season where he averaged 10.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG and 1.4 APG on 41% shooting from deep across 68 games and 16 starts. He looks back at his short Boston stint as an early reminder of how difficult it is to make it in the NBA, preparing him for further setbacks like his injury and bench stints in Miami down the line.
"I think (I had a chance to make the Celtics), I would like to think so," Strus said. "I think I had a decent Summer League, decent preseason, but they chose to go a different way. It doesn’t matter. Just part of the business ... it’s not easy (arriving on a new team as an unknown). It’s not easy at all, but you continue to just put your head down and work and be a good teammate, good locker room guy, be involved and just put yourself in the best situations and hopefully things will work out for you. That’s just what I try to do.”
When Ime Udoka sees players like Strus at the end of the bench or journeymen cast around the league he sees a bit of himself. He's used that experience from his own career being in that to connect with his own younger players left outside the rotation for much of this season like Payton Pritchard, Aaron Nesmith, Sam Hauser and others. The Celtics want to start identifying and raising up young players like the Heat have with Vincent, Strus and Caleb Martin. They showed some of their own unsung depth in Game 1 by bringing Nesmith off the bench for the first time in over one month for real minutes to record three blocks and receiving 18 points in extended run from Pritchard with Marcus Smart and Al Horford out.
The fresh perspective and eyes Udoka brings to the table also means realizing past mistakes. It's not easy to pick, develop and integrate the 15th man on a NBA roster, and often fit determines the outcomes. There's no telling if Strus, Bane, Gary Payton II or any number of prospects who found footing in their current situation after getting overlooked would thrive in other locations. It is also telling about the nature of the current NBA landscape though. Even a team like the Celtics, without a first-round pick this season and waiting until No. 53 overall to make their first selection in next month's NBA Draft, can aspire to find players in an increasingly deep talent pool each year. They just have to dig deep. Sometimes, an NBA starter is right there in front of you.
"(Strus) has obviously carved a niche pretty quickly," Udoka told BSJ pre-game on Thursday. "His strength is shooting, but he's not just that. He's a solid defender, especially for a quote, unquote 'shooter.' He's taken this opportunity and taken some time from some really good players who they were relying on. So it shows their confidence in him, but I'm always rooting for guys like that who work their way up the hard way and the impact he's having on their team is really evident. Happy for him and he was in Boston at some point in time a while ago and kind of missed out on that one."
Here's what else happened in the NBA this week...
Atlanta: John Hollinger predicts no resolution to contract extension talks between De'Andre Hunter and the Hawks one year before he would become a restricted free agent. Hunter, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, only appeared in 53 games for Atlanta this year, but reaching 37.9% from three and keying the team's best defensive play. On an increasingly expensive roster due to Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and John Collins it'll be interesting to see how they navigate the roster to try to retain their young wing stopper.
Boston (tied 1-1 vs. Miami): Returned Marcus Smart (foot) and Al Horford (COVID protocol) to their starting lineup, who held the Heat to 5-for-20 shooting in their individual matchups as the Celtics built a 34-point lead on their way to a 127-102 runaway victory in Game 2 of the east finals. It marked only the fourth time this postseason the team's starters that dominated in the regular season reunited, but Grant Williams shined again off the bench with 19 points. Boston drilled 20 threes on 40 tries, dishing 28 assists and smashing Miami's zone that gave them fits two seasons ago. Derrick White is expected to return for Game 3 on Saturday night in Boston after the birth of Hendrix, his son, sharing a first name with Robert Williams III's newborn.
Brooklyn: Kyrie Irving and Sean Marks haven't met yet to announce his and the team's futures following pointed commentary by the Nets GM about the team needing players who are all-in. Irving could sign a $36.9-million player option and kick his free agency back to 2023, or a five-year, $245.6-million max contract. Cap space isn't plentiful around the league and incentive-based deals are rare in the NBA and almost unheard of in superstar contracts. This'll go down as one of the more intriguing free agency negotiations in recent memory.
"It wouldn’t be right for me to comment on what hypothetical could happen, because we don’t know," Marks told YES. "We haven’t had those conversations with Kyrie yet. But when they do, we’ll see if it’s the right fit for both sides.”
Charlotte: Signed GM Mitch Kupchak to a contract extension as the team keys in on Mike D'Antoni, Terry Stotts, Frank Vogel, Darvin Ham and Kenny Atkinson as head-coaching candidates. Since joining the Hornets after his firing from the Lakers in 2018, he's overseen the drafting of LaMelo Ball, P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges, as well as the signing of Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward.
Chicago: As noise grew, including from the team itself, regarding Zach LaVine's intention to test unrestricted free agency, K.C. Johnson reported he isn't a lock to return to Chicago. Potential suitors include the Lakers, Trail Blazers, Mavericks and Hawks, with most of those teams likely needing to sign complicated sign-and-trade deals to acquire the star guard. It's unclear, he adds, whether the Bulls intend to offer the five-year, $212-million max contract only they can. With Lonzo Ball's health in question, a shakeup would be surprising, but possibly necessary here. Anthony Davis probably isn't going anywhere, but once professed he'd be interested in joining his hometown Bulls. Deandre Ayton could be a more available option to upgrade inside, but they've heavily invested in Nikola Vucevic.
Dallas (down 0-2 vs. Phoenix): Lost Game 2 despite 38 points from Luka Doncic, including 18 in the first quarter, as the Mavericks' have gotten stretched thin and overextended into their smaller lineups with three-and-D wings like Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith logging over 40 minutes each night. A seven-game battle with the Suns might've caught up with them already entering a series against a loaded Warriors offense that puts constant stress on Dallas' defense, scoring 126 points in Friday's win.
Detroit: Fell from the top-four to No. 5 overall in this year's NBA Draft after winning the lottery last season and landing Cade Cunningham and having one of the top probabilities at doing so again. They're now outside of the position to draft one of the four elite prospects in this class, but could still find a gem in springy wing Shaedon Sharpe, a versatile forward in Keegan Murray or sharpshooter A.J. Griffin, among others. This could be one of the most complicated positions to draft from, and it wouldn't be shocking to see them trade out. James Edwards III evaluated the team's choices ahead of the June 23 draft.
Golden State (ahead 2-0 vs. Golden State): Two wins away from returning to the NBA Finals after a two-year layoff from the postseason. The Warriors dreamed they'd get Klay Thompson back, restock young talent around Steph Curry and have success now and into the future. They stood pat at the trade deadline keeping young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody and for now, their plan looks right on track.
Houston: Lost the lottery after a second straight tanked season in the aftermath of the James Harden trade landed them the league's worst record, but the No. 3 overall pick. The upside is one of Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith Jr. will be available when they select, all bringing some blend of size, scoring, shooting and defense to compliment Jalen Green. The Rockets also underwent a shakeup on their bench, losing two assistant coaches on Stephen Silas' staff.
Indiana: Fell to No. 6 overall in the draft after one of their worst seasons in franchise history. They have flexibility others selecting that high don't though, near the ground floor of their rebuilding process aside from Tyrese Haliburton, who is ball dominant, but also flexible due to his excellent shooting. Malcolm Brogdon should be a hot trade target this offseason, with the Knicks already reportedly targeting him as they try to reshape their back court. Keegan Murray, Shaedon Sharpe and Bennedict Mathurin project to be their most likely targets, with one probably gone to Detroit when the Pacers go on the clock.
Lakers: The Lakers have narrowed their head-coaching search to Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, former Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts and Warriors assistant and former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. As for the Zach LaVine rumor, it's difficult to imagine LA being able to avoiding the hard cap without moving Russell Westbrook. There aren't any trades that would make sense without taking back bad salary like John Wall's expiring contract in return, many would require yielding future draft picks and LA can simply use the stretch provision to part ways with the star outright. That route would reduce his cap hit from $47.1-million to roughly $15-million this year, but keep it on the books for three seasons. If the team could reroute Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn from there ($15.6-million). That would inevitably cost future picks though, the least the Lakers could offer to entice the Bulls to play ball. It's not feasible under the hard cap, unless we start talking about Davis' inclusion.
Memphis: Received more recognition for their historic season with Jaren Jackson Jr.'s inclusion in the NBA's All-Defense First Team alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mikal Bridges, Marcus Smart and Rudy Gobert.
Miami (tied 1-1 vs. Boston): Bam Adebayo took 10 shots in the first two games of the East finals, not enough even considering his facilitation and screening impact. The Heat fell behind by 34 points and starved in the half court outside of Jimmy Butler's third-quarter explosion and the team suddenly appears to have met its match, outscored in seven out of eight quarters in the series so far. Unless they can shake the Celtics' defense loose with some shooting from Tyler Herro (12.5% 3PT), Max Strus (33.3%) and Gabe Vincent (46.7%). Duncan Robinson reappeared late in Game 2, and Kyle Lowry remains out with a hamstring injury and is questionable for Game 3.
Milwaukee (lost 3-4 vs. Boston): Giannis Antetokounmpo ran out of gas after a monster series where he averaged 33.9 PPG, 14.7 RPG, 7.1 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.1 BPG attacking the Celtics' defense nearly single-handily. He missed two layups in the second half of Game 7 as Boston pulled away for a blowout win behind another shooting explosion over the Bucks drop. Only Brook Lopez emerged with some rim looks early to help Milwaukee's star, Khris Middleton missing the entire series and Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis and Jrue Holiday all struggling for much of the series as the Celtics' shooters stayed home on him. The Bucks don't have much flexibility to change the roster and will hope Middleton's return solidifies them back to championship form, but the team held 2-1 and 3-2 leads on the Celtics and squandered both. Mike Budenholzer won't be on the hot seat for a long time after 2021, but he'll take some blame for the loss.
"Legs heavy. Body heavy. Mind heavy. Everything was heavy," Antetokounmpo said after.
Minnesota: Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, who drafted Nikola Jokic and built a 2020 western conference finals team, is a candidate to take over the Timberwolves basketball operations. Current Minnesota vice president Sachin Gupta is reportedly in play to continue his role as well, taking over in September after the abrupt firing of Gersson Rosas. Connelly is one of the most successful executives in the sport, building one of the best rosters on paper with Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., among other players. New Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez reportedly are involved in the process of charting the organization's future path.
New Orleans: Lakers fans breathed some sigh of relief when their pick stayed in the No. 8 overall slot in the draft lottery. The Pelicans will pick for them due to the Anthony Davis trade, this marking the fourth major haul from that deal after Brandon Ingram's ascension in recent seasons, Lonzo Ball's growth with the team before departing, Josh Hart's role in the C.J. McCollum trade and now chance to draft another top prospect after GM David Griffin hit on Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones (All-Rookie Second Team) last year.
Oklahoma City: Landed the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft after falling back, yet still landing an All-Rookie Second Team selection in Josh Giddey last summer. The Thunder will likely have its pick of Chet Holmgren, Jaden Ivey, Paolo Banchero or Jabari Smith Jr. who all potentially fill positions of need on a roster already boasting two young cornerstones in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. Smith would be an excellent choice here if the Magic pick Holmgren, bringing size, off-ball shooting and a defensive anchor to a team starting to round into something that resembles the start of an NBA basketball team, rather than a G-League collection as they have in recent years.
Orlando: Won the NBA Draft lottery after suffering the most injury-riddled season of any team. Now, it's easy to imagine them calling seven-foot shot maker, dribbler and rim protector Chet Holmgren to play next to Wendell Carter Jr. and a loaded back court featuring Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz and Holmgren's former teammate Jalen Suggs to shoulder some of the facilitating burden. This may be a situation where Holmgren wouldn't need to start right away given Franz Wagner's (All-Rookie First Team) presence at the four. Holmgren's skinny frame will need some development to translate to the next level, but his motor and length made him a defensive force in high school and at Gonzaga.
Phoenix (lost 3-4 vs. Dallas): Stunned by the Mavericks in blowout fashion, getting outscored by 39 points in Chris Paul's minutes in arguably the worst loss of his career considering the age and stakes on the best team in the NBA this season. Deandre Ayton faded with only 17 minutes in the loss, possibly his last game in a Suns uniform after he and the team failed to reach an extension agreement last offseason, sending him to restricted free agency. ESPN dove into the big man's sleep and video game habits, talented but inconsistent with a $30-million annual contract coming. There's urgency for this group given Paul's age though, and almost any team would bring a talent like Ayton back at 24-years-old and go from there. The Suns aren't a normal team though, with Robert Sarver's workplace culture under investigation and organization averse to the luxury tax. Detroit, Indiana, among others like Portland, could make a push at this offseason's top free agent.
Sacramento: The big winners of lottery night, bouncing up three spots to the No. 4 overall pick now positioned to add an elite prospect in Holmgren, Banchero, Ivey or Smith to a talented roster already led by De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. This spot may have the most leverage in the draft, particularly if Ivey is available when they go on the clock. With Fox on the roster, it could put the Kings in position to receive a haul, particularly needed defensive help, in exchange for trading back. They could also reassess the Fox market if they decide a player like Ivey is worth making the team's future cornerstone, but given the trade of Tyrese Haliburton in February that's unlikely.
Utah: Ahead of one of the most consequential offseason in franchise history, the Deseret News reporting that if the team is forced to choose between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, then the big man is probably gone, with possible suitors in Charlotte, Dallas and Toronto. Their first priority will be trying to build a roster around both, but this group is so flawed and one-dimensional defensively that it's hard to imagine even moving Gobert immediately fixing anything. This quietly aging group will probably need to take a step back to move forward. It's an unenviable position for Danny Ainge entering his first summer in Utah.