Heat officials know they have a valuable rotation piece in Pelle Larsson, a versatile wing who can defend, handle, pass, corkscrew to the basket and be the glue player every good team needs. That was the impetus for giving him a four-year, $60 million extension in September.
But could the Heat have potentially more than that – an eventual potential starter at shooting guard or small forward?
His offensive work in Miami’s two wins against Atlanta and Indiana certainly suggest that’s very much a possibility.
After opening this season 9 for 24 from the field and 3 for 11 on threes, Larsson hit 11 of 17 shots, and 3 for 4 on threes, over his past two games, while scoring 17 and 18 points. A small sample size, to be sure, but encouraging nonetheless because he’s still an ascending player.
Larsson also has continued to develop as a passer while assuming more ball-handling responsibilities; he dished out 11 assists (with three turnovers) over those two games.
That deft ball-handling “is not something that’s happened overnight with Pelle,” Erik Spoelstra said, as the Heat turns its attention to a five-game road trip that begins Monday night at the Lakers (10 p.m., WPLG-10).
“So he’s been earning these opportunities and he’s gained a lot of confidence of having the ball in his hands and making plays, whether it’s been within the flow or in transition or just the random drives.
“But then the last two years with his national team, his usage was through the roof. And I think those on-ball reps really helped his reads and, like I said, his confidence. And when we needed him to make some plays [Wednesday], he was rock solid with his decisions.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been especially impressed.
“He’s one of the smartest players on the team,” the two-time NBA MVP said. “He’s going to get to his spots. We’ve got to give him space to operate. And when he gets stuck, his footwork is so elite that he’s going to find the open man. So you can cut, you can find the open space, and he’s going to deliver you the ball. And that’s what I try to do. I try to play off him because I know there’s going to be times that he’s going to give me the ball.”
The shot has begun to fall, too, after a slow start. In Friday’s 145-125 win against Indiana, Larsson was 5 for 5 from the field, 1 for 1 on threes and 7 for 8 from the line.
Larsson has worked tirelessly to improve his three-point shot after making just 33.7% (32 for 95) in his first season and 32.3% (62 for 192) last season.
Standing on the Heat’s practice court Tuesday, he said “I‘ve got to stop working on the mechanics for a while and just shoot.”
He said there was no need to undo any tinkering with his form: “I’m doubling down, working on what I’ve worked on, and in the game just shoot it.”
He has been on a mini-roll since.
The defensive diligence remains a constant. Players that Larsson has guarded have shot 34.7% (17 for 49), compared with the 43.9% those players have shot overall so far this season.
“He plays hard,” Antetokounmpo said, repeating it for emphasis. “He’s tough. He competes. He’s a good leader, a good teammate. Capable of making shots. It’s a guy that you enjoy to play with.”
Said Bam Adebayo: “Him being efficient, I feel like that’s the biggest thing I’ve seen. He’s very comfortable where he is right now in his mind. He’s playing with a clear mind. There’s no clutter, and you see it.”
This and that
▪ Antetokounmpo, on Davion Mitchell, who is fourth in the league in assists at 8.2 per game:
“He’s fast. He’s fast. It might not be a great comparison, but [former Bucks guard] Eric Bledsoe. I’ve played with a guy like that, that’s fast. You kind of have to keep up with him. He’s a guy that can get downhill. He can bully his way there. He’s a guy that’s going to defend. He’s going to get deflections. He’s a guy that if he’s open, he can knock down shots. Very vocal. Great leader. And he’s a guy that’s going to bring it every single night. Just happy to have somebody like that next to him.”
Mitchell is averaging 16.2 points, more than double his career scoring average (8.0) and is shooting 38.7% on threes.
▪ Nikola Jovic’s defense has improved. He’s holding the player he’s guarding to 32.4% (11 for 34). That’s best on the team among players who have defended more than four shots.
▪ Antetokounmpo entered the weekend tied for third in the NBA in both scoring average (28.2) and rebounding average (12.3).
This story was originally published November 1, 2026 at 8:40 AM.
Miami Herald
Barry Jackson has written for the Miami Herald since 1986 and has written the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.