The Heat decided to switch things up near the end of the regular season by replacing Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup with another sharpshooter.
No, not Tyler Herro, but Max Strus.
If there was any question as to why Strus earned the promotion, he proved himself in the Heat's first-round win over the Hawks. Starting in all five games, he averaged 14.0 points while knocking down 3.2 3-pointers per contest at a 35.6 percent clip.
Strus saved his best for last, playing a key role in Miami's Game 5 win without Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry.
Max Strus scored 10 straight points without anyone else in the game scoring 😳 pic.twitter.com/JNFhyEWAMK
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 27, 2022
Strus' rise hasn't exactly come out of nowhere, but it's hard to imagine many — if any — thinking he'd be starting for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this soon after he went undrafted in 2019.
So ... who is Max Strus? Here are some fast facts on the Heat's guard.
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Background
Strus was born on March 28, 1996, in Hickory Hills, Illinois. He attended Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois.
Strus grew up playing basketball, baseball and football.
College career
Strus began his collegiate career at Lewis University, an NCAA Division II school that his older brother graduated from. He averaged 13.3 points per game as a freshman and bumped his scoring average up to a team-leading 20.2 points per game as a sophomore.
Following his sophomore season, Strus transferred to DePaul, an NCAA Division I school where his mom was a star athlete.
Strus led DePaul with 16.8 points per game in his junior season. He tested the NBA Draft waters after his junior season but decided to return to DePaul for his senior season. He averaged 20.1 points per game in his final season and earned a Second Team All-BIG EAST selection.
| Season | College | PPG | 3PT% |
| 2014-15 | Lewis University | 13.3 | 35.2 |
| 2015-16 | Lewis University | 20.2 | 36.0 |
| 2016-17 | Did not play (NCAA transfer rules) | - | - |
| 2017-18 | DePaul University | 16.8 | 33.3 |
| 2018-19 | DePaul University | 20.1 | 36.3 |
Professional career
Strus went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft. He joined the Boston Celtics for Summer League and eventually signed a two-way contract with the franchise. He later signed a standard NBA contract, only to be waived ahead of the regular season.
After being cut by the Celtics, Strus signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls. He appeared in two games with the Bulls in his rookie season and 13 games with the franchise's G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.
Strus' season was cut short due to a torn ACL and bone bruise in his left knee.
Strus signed a training camp deal with the Heat ahead of the 2020-21 season and was later converted to a two-way contract. He returned to the Heat for the 2021-22 season on a two-year, $3.5 million deal following a big showing at Summer League.
In his second season with the Heat, Strus appeared in 68 games (16 starts) and averaged career-highs of 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 41.0 percent shooting from 3-point range.
In a win over the Magic on Dec. 17, 2021, Strus came off the bench to score a career-high 32 points on 8-for-11 shooting from deep. Less than two months later, he knocked down a career-best nine 3-pointers in a loss to the Celtics.
