Strus adjusting to another late-season move into starting lineup. Also, Heat’s plan vs. Wizards

Max Strus played as a starter during the Miami Heat’s playoff run last season. Strus then opened this season as a reserve and was just moved back into the starting lineup with only a week remaining in the regular season.

Through it all, the Heat’s injury issues actually forced Strus to start 28 games as a fill-in prior to being promoted to the starting lineup this past weekend.

“It’s been tough,” Strus said of his ever-changing role after making his third straight start and 31st start of the season in Thursday night’s 129-101 blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. “I’ve learned a lot this year on and off the court. It’s been a hell of a year. But I think just being consistent with my mental, everything staying consistent with that has been a huge thing for me. I’ve really grown up and matured a lot throughout this whole season. I think that’s what I’m most proud of and what I’ve learned the most.”

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Strus, who will be an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason, took veteran forward Kevin Love’s spot in the starting group as part of a lineup that also includes Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

While Strus was initially moved back into the starting lineup for Saturday’s home win over the Dallas Mavericks, Adebayo did not play in that game because of a hip injury. But with Adebayo back, the Heat’s new starting lineup opened two straight games leading into Friday night’s matchup against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena.

This five-man combination featuring Strus outscored opponents by one point in 28 minutes together during those two games, both wins.

“It’s been fun,” Strus said of bouncing around different units this season. “I’ve played with a lot of lineups, I’ve played with a lot of guys. I think it’s made me a better basketball player and honestly a better person overall. It’s just been a whirlwind. Every day has been something different and just try not to overreact to anything and just be consistent with my approach and be the same person every day. Whatever basketball brings me that day, just do my best at whatever job they’re asking of me.”

Strus is also simply doing a better job of doing his job as a floor spacer recently, shooting 42.9 percent on 6.1 three-point attempts per game in the past 15 games ahead of Friday’s contest. He shot just 33.8 percent on 7.7 three-point attempts per game in 57 appearances prior to the mid-February All-Star break.

With the help of Strus’ spike in three-point shooting efficiency, the Heat’s offense has also been much better recently. Miami entered Friday with the NBA’s fourth-best offensive rating in the past 15 games after entering the break with the 26th-ranked offensive rating.

“We’re playing different, we’re playing better basketball these past couple weeks,” Strus said. “Not even with just me in the lineup, it’s just that the ball is moving more, guys are getting more involved and I think we’ve been playing through Jimmy a lot more. It’s been better. You can just tell guys are getting more in rhythm, we’re all starting to make shots, everything is just starting to turn.”

There may be some concern whether Strus can hold up defensively as a forward in a small starting lineup at 6-5 and 215 pounds, but he’s not worried.

“I’m going to do my job on the glass,” Strus said. “I take pride in boxing out. I may not get the rebound, but as long as my guy doesn’t, that’s all that matters to me. So I know people worry about that. But I think I’m strong enough and I’m big enough to hold my own against a four in this league. I’ll switch and guard any matchup they want to put me into.”

Strus, who went undrafted out of DePaul in 2019, also moved into a starting role late last season before spending the Heat’s entire playoff run that ended in the Eastern Conference finals in the starting lineup. It appears that Strus is again on track to enter the postseason as a starter this season after opening the schedule as a reserve.

“His versatility to be able to be effective in both units, whether he’s starting or not,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Strus. “And I’ve mentioned to him many times, you can look at it as a negative that you’re playing different roles, or you look at it as a positive that you get to be fully in the rotation and complement both lineups and continue to grow as a basketball player in learning how to win and impact in a bunch of different ways.”

WHO WILL PLAY ON FRIDAY?

Even with technically something to play for entering Friday’s game against the Wizards, it appears that the Heat will take a cautious approach in its final two games of the regular season.

The Heat ruled out its leading trio of Adebayo (left quadriceps tendon strain), Butler (right hand contusion) and Herro (right quadriceps contusion) for Friday’s contest in Washington on the second night of its final back-to-back of the season. Kyle Lowry (left left knee soreness), Love (right rib contusion)and Nikola Jovic (back spasms) will also be unavailable.

Lowry, 37, has not played on both ends of a back-to-back since returning from left knee soreness on March 11. He finished Thursday’s victory in Philadelphia with 11 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 22 minutes.

Despite Lowry’s planned absence, Spoelstra remains encouraged about where Lowry stands physically ahead of the postseason after returning in March from a 15-game absence stemming from left knee pain. Since coming back from injury, Lowry has been limited to about 20 minutes per game and has played off the bench but has been productive.

“He handled those five weeks really well behind the scenes and I think our communication between myself, Kyle, the training staff and our medical staff was as good as it’s ever been,” Spoelstra said, “which really helps when you don’t have all the time and he’s in a great place physically right now. So his plus/minus, his on/off since he’s been back has been outstanding.

“The most important thing is he responds, his body responds really well the next day. What that will mean down the line, whether he’ll be able to play significantly more minutes, who knows. But I don’t care. This is a great victory right now. The fact that he’s healthy and he’s been playing great and it’s moving the needle on the scoreboard.”

The Heat entered Friday facing the possibility of finishing in either sixth or seventh place in the East, but its chances of moving up to No. 6 and avoiding the play-in tournament remain very slim. For the Heat to jump into the sixth spot, Miami needs to win its two remaining regular-season games and the Brooklyn Nets need to lose their two remaining regular-season games.

The Wizards, which have lost four straight and are out of playoff contention, will sit most of their regulars against the Heat. Deni Avdija (left elbow bursitis), Bradley Beal (left knee soreness), Kyle Kuzma (right ankle sprain), Monte Morris (right ankle soreness) and Kristaps Porzingis (non-COVID illness) have already been ruled out for Washington.