The Miami Heat face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers to begin their playoff run.

A familiar face is the starting small forward for the Cavaliers: Max Strus. He was an integral piece to the Heat rotation throughout their 2023 cinderella playoff run as the No. 8 seed. The Heat lost to the Denver Nuggets through five games in the NBA Finals.

Throughout that postseason, Strus averaged 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists with his strongest performances against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. His breakout season earned him a four-year, $63 million contract with the Cavaliers that offseason.

This season, Strus only played in 50 games, his lowest since 2021. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

Strus’ experience in Miami could provide Cleveland some input on how to better prepare for this playoff series. Heat center Bam Adebayo shares no worries about the possibility.

“I don’t give a f**k about Max Strus,” the three-time All-Star told reporters.