Nick Crain | 1/21/23

Even with NBA League Pass, it’s tough to watch every player across the league closely. The biggest names always rise to the top, but there’s quite a few athletes that are doing incredible things but not getting as much credit as they deserve. Leveraging ProFitX, we can quickly identify players that are flying under the radar or quietly having tremendous seasons. One of those players in the 2022-23 campaign is Max Strus, who is emerging as a high impactful player in this league. What should you know about the Miami Heat guard as he continues to rise as an underrated player?

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Current Production Value It’s no secret that the Heat have always found a way to develop talent and identify underrated contributors. The latest example of that is Strus, who went undrafted before spending time in the G League system and then finding a role in Miami at the NBA level. The 26-year-old is now in his third season with the Heat and has gradually become more of a focal point. He started no games in his first year in Miami, 16 last season and already 24 contests this season. This means he’s been a starter in over half of the games he’s played in the 2022-23 campaign. Strus’ production value is worth 10x what the Heat are currently paying him.

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Key Attributes

Again, the development of Strus over the past few years has been quite impressive. A perimeter oriented player, he’s gotten better as each season progresses and has now emerged as more than just a 3-point shooter. This season, the 6-foot-5 guard has generated 102 assists, which is almost as many as he produced in every season prior combined. With scoring upside and the ability to distribute to Miami’s stars, it’s easy to see why he’s such an important piece.

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Important Roles

Another key area of improvement for Strus has been on the defensive side of the ball. He’s become a reliable 3-and-D player, which allows him to play in critical moments of games, especially down the stretch. He’s also an 88% free throw shooter which is key for anyone in a closing lineup.

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Offensive Hot Spots

The corners are where Strus is nearly automatic from. Over the course of his career, he converted on 47.7% of his corner triples. Furthermore, nearly a quarter of his attempts from distance are from those spots. While he’s having somewhat of an overall down season from beyond the arc, the other areas of improvement we’ve seen have balanced his game out. Regardless, Strus is a career 37% shooter from deep.