Cavs' Strus Keeps Team Grounded After Playoff Clincher

Cleveland forward urges team to improve in all areas as they seek playoff success.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 6:36am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a basketball game broken down into overlapping planes of navy, green, and red, conveying the Cavaliers' need to re-examine and refine all aspects of their play.Strus' call for the Cavaliers to improve in all areas reflects the team's need to deconstruct and rebuild their game plan ahead of the playoffs.Cleveland Today

The Cleveland Cavaliers clinched a playoff berth for the fourth straight season with a 118-111 win over the Golden State Warriors. However, forward Max Strus cautioned that the team still has work to do, saying they "gotta figure it out" and "be better in all cylinders of the game." The Cavs have fallen short in the playoffs in recent years despite building a consistent contender in the post-LeBron James era, and Strus knows they need to take their game to the next level to finally get over the hump.

Why it matters

The Cavaliers have established themselves as a perennial playoff team, but they are still seeking their first deep playoff run since LeBron James' departure. Strus' comments show the team is staying grounded and focused on improving, rather than simply being satisfied with making the postseason again.

The details

The Cavaliers clinched their fourth straight playoff berth with Thursday's win over the Warriors, improving to 48-29 on the season. They are assured of finishing no worse than sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. However, despite the playoff clincher, Strus was not overly celebratory, saying the team needs to "figure it out" and "be better in all facets of the game" as they prepare for the postseason.

  • The Cavaliers clinched a playoff spot on April 3, 2026.

The players

Max Strus

A forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers who is urging the team to stay focused on improving as they head to the playoffs.

LeBron James

The former Cavaliers superstar who led the team to an NBA championship in 2016 before departing in free agency.

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What they’re saying

“I don't know, we shouldn't be happy about this one. This one was, whatever, just a win I guess. We'll take it. But we gotta figure it out. We gotta be better in all cylinders of the game, all facets of the game.”

— Max Strus, Cavaliers Forward

What’s next

The Cavaliers will look to continue improving their play as they prepare for the NBA playoffs, where they hope to finally break through and make a deep postseason run after falling short in recent years.

The takeaway

Despite clinching a playoff berth, the Cavaliers are staying grounded and focused on improving their overall play, recognizing that simply making the postseason is no longer enough. Veteran forward Max Strus is setting the tone for the team, urging them to get better in all areas as they seek to finally get over the hump in this year's playoffs.