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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.<\/p>\n
But could the Heat have potentially more than that – an eventual potential starter at shooting guard or small forward?<\/p>\n
His offensive work in Miami\u2019s two wins against Atlanta and Indiana certainly suggest that\u2019s very much a possibility.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s still an ascending player.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
That deft ball-handling \u201cis not something that\u2019s happened overnight with Pelle,\u201d 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).<\/p>\n
\u201cSo he\u2019s been earning these opportunities and he\u2019s gained a lot of confidence of having the ball in his hands and making plays, whether it\u2019s been within the flow or in transition or just the random drives.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been especially impressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one of the smartest players on the team,\u201d the two-time NBA MVP said. \u201cHe\u2019s going to get to his spots. We\u2019ve got to give him space to operate. And when he gets stuck, his footwork is so elite that he\u2019s going to find the open man. So you can cut, you can find the open space, and he\u2019s going to deliver you the ball. And that\u2019s what I try to do. I try to play off him because I know there\u2019s going to be times that he\u2019s going to give me the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shot has begun to fall, too, after a slow start. In Friday\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Standing on the Heat\u2019s practice court Tuesday, he said \u201cI\u2018ve got to stop working on the mechanics for a while and just shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there was no need to undo any tinkering with his form: \u201cI\u2019m doubling down, working on what I\u2019ve worked on, and in the game just shoot it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has been on a mini-roll since.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe plays hard,\u201d Antetokounmpo said, repeating it for emphasis. \u201cHe\u2019s tough. He competes. He\u2019s a good leader, a good teammate. Capable of making shots. It\u2019s a guy that you enjoy to play with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Said Bam Adebayo: \u201cHim being efficient, I feel like that\u2019s the biggest thing I\u2019ve seen. He\u2019s very comfortable where he is right now in his mind. He\u2019s playing with a clear mind. There\u2019s no clutter, and you see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
This and that<\/p>\n
\u25aa Antetokounmpo, on Davion Mitchell, who is fourth in the league in assists at 8.2 per game:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s fast. He\u2019s fast. It might not be a great comparison, but [former Bucks guard] Eric Bledsoe. I\u2019ve played with a guy like that, that\u2019s fast. You kind of have to keep up with him. He\u2019s a guy that can get downhill. He can bully his way there. He\u2019s a guy that\u2019s going to defend. He\u2019s going to get deflections. He\u2019s a guy that if he\u2019s open, he can knock down shots. Very vocal. Great leader. And he\u2019s a guy that\u2019s going to bring it every single night. Just happy to have somebody like that next to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell is averaging 16.2 points, more than double his career scoring average (8.0) and is shooting 38.7% on threes.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Nikola Jovic\u2019s defense has improved. He\u2019s holding the player he\u2019s guarding to 32.4% (11 for 34). That\u2019s best on the team among players who have defended more than four shots.<\/p>\n
\u25aa Antetokounmpo entered the weekend tied for third in the NBA in both scoring average (28.2) and rebounding average (12.3).<\/p>\n
This story was originally published November 1, 2026 at 8:40 AM.<\/p>\n