On this week’s Heat Check: What should the Miami Heat do ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline? And the “Mayor of NBA Threads” tells his story. By Pierre Taylor
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra doesn’t usually make public declarations about players who have yet to log a meaningful minute in the NBA. But Spoelstra broke that rule when speaking about guard Pelle Larsson before the first regular-season game of his rookie NBA season.
“He’s an elite role player,” Spoelstra said of Larsson in October 2024. “If you mention that to some organizations, they probably think that that’s horrible. I think it fits absolutely with our style of play, our culture, how we view players and how they impact winning. He knows how to defend multiple positions, he brings you physicality on that side of the floor. Offensively, he moves very well without the ball, so he could be a connector with whatever unit he plays.”
Larsson, who turns 25 on Feb. 23, is on his way to living up to the hype, establishing himself as one of the Heat’s top role players in the middle of his second NBA season.
As the Heat continues to deal with injury issues, Larsson has started in seven straight games and has started in 26 of his 39 appearances this season. The Heat is 16-10 this season in Larsson’s starts.
“We trust Pelle,” Heat captain and three-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo said. “Pelle is the guy that we can incorporate him in our starting lineup, and you instantly see the difference.
“For organizations and players around the league, you want a guy like Pelle. If he gets 15 [points], that just adds to your offense. But you know what he’s bringing day in, day out.”
Larsson, who leads the Heat with 10 charges drawn this season, is averaging 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 47.9% from the field and 32.1% on threes in his second NBA season. And Larsson’s complementary skill set has allowed him to make an impact without having many plays called for him, as he holds the third-lowest usage rate (an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while on the court) among the 14 players on the Heat’s standard roster.
“Pelle helps our offense so much,” Spoelstra said, with the Heat (25-22) set to host the Orlando Magic (23-22) on Wednesday at Kaseya Center (7:30 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Sun). “This kind of style that I’m talking about, like Pelle helps everybody because he cuts when you need to cut, he spaces with energy, he drives it hard, he runs hard. He does all the things that keep the engine of our offense going.”
Larsson has come to accept the label of role player, noting that he appreciates how important role players have become to the success of the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Just kind of seeing how Oklahoma City’s team was structured and then playing them recently, they have so many guys that are willing to do that,” said Larsson, who was selected by the Heat in the second round of the 2024 Draft. “And just like, ‘All right, I’ll make the right play here, and then we’ll win, move on to the next one.’”
Heat coaches have sent Larsson tape to study other quality complementary players from around the NBA.
“They send me clips of different people,” Larsson said. “I mean, the theme is pretty similar in like [Alex] Caruso, a couple of guys on OKC, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday. Different guys that can play both ends, make simple plays for their teammates, and also make gritty, defensive plays.”
It’s a role Larsson has learned to enjoy and thrive in.
“It’s very rewarding when we win because then I feel like I’m really helping by doing the things other guys don’t want to do,” Larsson said. “But sometimes when you lose, you kind of feel like, ‘Ah, maybe I could have done more.’ But you have to give in completely to reach the reward. So yeah, that’s what I’m trying to do.”
INJURY REPORT
The Heat could again be without starting guards Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell on Wednesday against the Magic.
Herro, who has missed the last six games with a rib injury, and Mitchell, who has missed the last three games with a left shoulder sprain, did not practice on Tuesday.
But Heat center Kel’el Ware did return to practice on Tuesday after missing the last four games with a strained right hamstring. After taking part in Tuesday’s practice, Ware said he feels like he’s “good to go” for Wednesday’s matchup against the Magic.
The Heat’s injury report for Wednesday’s game has not yet been released.