Max Strus had a breakout season with the Heat in 2021-22. Rick Osentoski/Getty Images The Miami Heat make every player pass a conditioning test: 10 full-court sprints in under 60 seconds, five separate times. Breakout Heat guard/forward Max Strus told Insider he spent the summer preparing for the notoriously grueling test.
Strus is entering a contract year with improved vision, fitness, and perhaps a starting spot. Every Miami Heat player knows what awaits them at the end of the summer: the team’s notoriously grueling conditioning test. The Heat’s strength and conditioning program is legendary in NBA circles.
While the program is multifaceted, each year, all players must prove they didn’t loaf during the off-season by passing the same test: 10 full-court sprints, down and back, in under 60 seconds. They must do this five times to pass. “That’s really what we all work out all summer for, to get ready to be able to do that on the first day of training camp,” Max Strus told Insider while promoting EVO, an implantable lens to correct eyesight.
“And you gotta pass that test in order to play. So, that’s kind of what our main goal is. And if you can complete that, you’re in pretty good shape and probably ready for the season.
“Strus told Insider that his off-season workouts are all geared around sprinting, often within the course of his basketball workouts. “It’s just sprinting and shooting — running full-court, running back, hitting the shot, and then just keep doing that. It’s not a lot of conditioning, running around in circles and things like that.
It’s just within your workouts to try to do things at a speed that are very game-like. “Max Strus. Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty ImagesStill, it’s not a test that’s easy to pass.
Jimmy Butler reportedly didn’t pass during his first training camp with the Heat. In 2019, the team announced that it was sending then-forward James Johnson home from training camp because he “fell short” of “conditioning requirements. “”The Heat definitely take pride in that, being the most hard-working team, most conditioned,” Strus said.
Strus is ready for an encoreStrus has found a match with the Heat. A 6-foot-5 guard/forward, Strus began his college career at Lewis University, a Division II school. He eventually transferred to DePaul but went undrafted in 2019.
After two short stints with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, including a stop in the G League, Strus joined the Heat in 2020. He had a breakout season last year, averaging 10. 6 points per game while shooting 41.
0% from three, playing his way into the starting lineup. “That’s just how I’m built is to work harder than everybody and kind of earn everything my way,” Strus said. “So it’s been a perfect fit for me.
It’s just being ready and staying sharp all summer. “Max Strus shot 41% from three last season. Michael Reaves/Getty ImagesBeyond preparing for the conditioning test, Strus also underwent a procedure that he hopes will improve life on and off the court.
Strus spoke to Insider on behalf of EVO, an implantable lens that can fix near-sightedness. Strus has needed glasses since the fifth grade and has found wearing contacts on the court burdensome. With the lenses (which can be removed by a doctor), Strus now has 20/10 vision.
“Now that I have it, I would never go back,” he said. “It’s been unbelievable. And my vision’s 20/10, so it’s basically like super-human strength.
“Strus said he joked with the doctor who performed the procedure that he’d get a bonus if Strus’s already-solid three-point percentage increased this season. Indeed, Strus is in a contract year, set to earn $1. 8 million this year before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
If last year’s performance is any indication, he’ll be due for a lofty raise. While Strus said he’s not yet thinking of his next contract, his role is in flux. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has spoken about moving last year’s Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro into the starting lineup this season, which would likely move Strus to the bench.
Strus, however, said he isn’t sweating the move. “For me, it’s easy,” Strus said. “Our biggest goal here is to win a championship.
Coach Spo is one of the best in the business, so we rely on him and whatever he thinks is best, we’re gonna do. We’re all completely bought-in to whatever the team needs and whether that’s a different starting lineup or different guys coming off the bench, we’re all readily available to [do] whatever we need to do just to adjust to it. “Between improved vision, solid conditioning, and a flexible attitude, Strus said he’s anticipating a good year.
“That’s what I’ve done all summer, is take care of my body and get in the best shape and I’m looking to have a great year,” he said. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/max-strus-trained-for-heat-conditioning-test-2022-10
