Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Strus expected to miss ‘couple of weeks’
DALLAS — Miami Heat forward Max Strus said Monday that he expects to likely be out “a couple of weeks” with the sprained left knee that took him out of Saturday night’s road victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
An MRI came back negative Sunday, which was of particular relief to Strus, who was sidelined for nearly a year after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December 2019 while playing for the Chicago Bulls’ G League affiliate.
“There was a lot of anxiety,” Strus said after the Heat’s Monday practice at American Airlines Center, in advance of Tuesday’s nationally televised game against the Dallas Mavericks. “It was tough to sleep the night before. But the training staff did a great job of getting me in as soon as they can to get the MRI. As soon as I heard those results, it was just a breath of fresh air. I’m happy with how everything turned out.”
There also was an air of optimism regarding center Bam Adebayo, who returned to practice Monday after sitting out the victory in Memphis due to a bruised left knee.
“I feel good,” Adebayo said. “If I’m out there, I’m out there ready to hoop.”
As for Strus, the Heat will turn in another direction for a ninth man, with two-way player Caleb Martin stepping up in that role Saturday after Strus left the court at FedExForum.
“You just have to go into your depth,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We feel really comfortable with our depth with Gabe [Vincent] and Caleb. Caleb gave us some really good minutes the other night, inspiring plays defensively. That block was really special.
“And you feel for Max, too, but thankfully it’s just going to be short term, and he’ll get healthy and we’ll go from there.”
Strus was injured on a dunk attempt.
“It just felt awkward,” he said of the landing. “Obviously with how I am, I just immediately thought back to what I did before. So I just got scared and it was just in my head. But luckily we’re good.
“So we got good news out of it and we’ll just see where we go from there. I’ll rehab it and get stronger.” The timetable remains fluid. “I think it’s a couple weeks or something like that,” he said after lifting weights Monday. “But there’s no timetable on it. I’m just going to attack my rehab and see where we go. The sooner, the better.
“We’re still trying to figure it out. But hopefully a couple weeks, here or there. It’s not painful. It’s just a little achy. But I’ll get through it.”
Ultimately, the shock may have been more severe than the injury.
“It was just more of like a scare, mentally,” he said, “just because of what I’ve been through in my career so far.”
And, yes, he said, he will be back to dunking.
“That’s not going to stop me from being who I am,” he said. “I worked too hard to build myself up. Build my leg up around it and I’ll keep rehabbing it and get stronger. I’ll be fine.”
Butler honored
Forward Jimmy Butler was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, with Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert taking the Western Conference honor.
Heat center Bam Adebayo also was nominated for the East award.
It is the second time Butler has been so recognized with the Heat, also taking the honor Dec. 8, 2019.
Butler averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.25 steals over the four-game span, four victories by an average margin of 17.8 points. He now has taken the honor with the Heat more than Tim Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal, who were cited once each during their Heat tenures.
Butler has been so honored six times over his career.