Miami has returned to its winning ways, pulling off a five-game winning streak with the playoffs right around the corner. During this stretch, they’ve experimented with the lineup by inserting Max Strus as a starter and sending Duncan Robinson to the bench. As a result, both players have been very efficient in their new roles. Over the last five games, Miami is averaging 122.8 points per game, good for 3rd in the league. They’re also converting 47.9% from beyond the arc during this span. If they finish out the regular season playing this well offensively, this could be a look at what the rotation might be for the playoffs.
In the last five games, Strus is averaging 13.4 points and converting 50% of his 7.2 threes per game. Even though it’s a small sample size, Strus has increased his volume from three and is converting at an even better rate than his season average. His standout performance came against the Raptors when he had 23 points and went 7/9 from three. While this isn’t the first time Strus has started games, this is the longest stretch he’s started this season. In his 15 games as a starter, Strus averaged 16.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and converts 46.4% of his threes. It’s clear Strus feels comfortable in this role, and it’ll be interesting to see if this lineup sticks for the postseason.
On the other hand, Duncan Robinson has moved to the bench for the past five games. During this stretch, Duncan is averaging 9.8 points and converting 46.9% of his 6.4 threes per game. While his points have declined slightly from his season average, his percentage from three has improved a good amount. His impact is still apparent even off the bench, especially in the most recent game against Charlotte. Duncan had 21 points and went 7/11 from three, one of his better games on the year. If both players can settle into their new roles before the playoffs arrive, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Strus as the starter during the first round.
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