![\"Pelle](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-9.3-12.46PM-1024x683.jpg\")
(Photo Courtesy of FIBA)<\/p>\n(Photo Courtesy of FIBA)<\/p>\n
We are mere hours away from the start of the Round of 16 in EuroBasket 2025, where three Miami Heat players will be participating!<\/a><\/p>\n As we wrapped up group stage play this week, it was clear that one Heat player soared above his peers with their play on the court \u2014 even though the team success didn\u2019t necessarily follow. <\/p>\n Second-year Heat guard Pelle Larsson, suiting up for Sweden, was the best player between he, Simone Fontecchio and Nikola Jovic, who has looked very good alongside three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. While his efficiency wasn\u2019t exactly where it should be, Larsson finished toward the top of the leaderboard in one important statistic.<\/p>\n I know what you\u2019re thinking.<\/p>\n His team isn\u2019t as good and he\u2019s thrust in a role where he has to score.<\/p>\n Yes, that is true. <\/p>\n But Larsson finished 11th in Group Stage play in scoring, averaging 19.8 points on 45.3 percent shooting from the floor \u2014 despite shooting just 25.9 percent from deep. One of those players above him, Giannis Antetokounmpo \u2014 perhaps you\u2019ve heard of him \u2014 only played in three games. Larsson\u2019s scoring neighbored that of Jokic, Nikola Vucevic, Dennis Schroder, Alperen Sengun and Franz Wagner. <\/p>\n Not bad company for a second-year pro trying to prove himself!<\/p>\n Scoring obviously isn\u2019t everything. But Larsson, dating back to his days at Utah and Arizona, has largely been a glue guy in a secondary role. <\/p>\n He\u2019s thrived in a primary role with better ball handling, decision-making and, most importantly, scoring! He\u2019s also been continued to be good defensively, picking up ball handlers 92 feet from rim with physicality.<\/p>\n He\u2019s going to need to improve his spot-up and pull-up jump shooting. That\u2019s typically the tradeoff with having significant on-ball responsibility in the half-court. But that will be a non-negotiable once he\u2019s reinserted back into a complementary role with Miami.<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n To check out our other content, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Twitter\/X\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Follow Hot Hot Hoops on Instagram\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n Subscribe to our YouTube channel\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t\t\t