The Heat's most overlooked player

Any option should be considered to help the Heat's playmaking department.

Mar 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra stands on the court in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What kind of hoops fans could frown in Miami right now? The team is actually so good that it isn’t sweating missing out on LeBron James, a top five player ever, who is still in All-Star shape. There’s lots for the fans to be hyped for, yet one name should not go overlooked: Pelle Larsson. 

It’s going to be funny when the media mentions him as a Most Improved Player award candidate when it should have been the case in 2025-26. Keep in mind that while the Miami Heat had no 1A option, Larsson made a significant leap, raising his effective field goal percentage (3.4) more than all of the top five vote-getters for the Most Improved Player crown.  On top of that, his usage went up slightly and his time of possession doubled in his second season. One of the true marks of improvement is efficiency rising while the touches do.

The Heat’s offense was a one-trick show last year. Still, he logged the fourth-highest two-point percentage on the team (58.6) while 64.7 percent of those attempts were assisted, and he had 20 games logging at least five assists. His growth in the latter department shouldn’t make it a surprise if coach Erik Spoelstra calls for him to be more of a connector on-ball. 

After Giannis Antetokounmpo, Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith, the playmaking options are a bit limited. Of course, there’s the unorthodox option of making Bam Adebayo more of a decision maker, but another player like Larsson being able to take the ball up court with regularity would take a lot of pressure off his teammates. 

If he has a third-year leap like he did in 2025-26, it will be impossible to ignore him because he’s already a decent release valve and his talents will pop more now that he’ll be working so much around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. Aside from playmaking, the next area for growth is his 3-point shooting.

Apr 14, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Miami Heat guard Pelle Larsson (9) dribbles the ball at pregame warm ups against the Charlotte Hornets during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can the shooting improve?

He only shot 32.3 percent on a low volume of 3-pointers in 2025-26, which was slightly worse than his rookie season. Most of these attempts (81.5 percent) last year were taken with six or more feet of space and that will not change as long as most of his deep jumpers are on the catch. Upgrading his marksmanship quickly can significantly elevate the team since opponents are naturally going to scheme Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. 

On the other side, his defense was already good as well because he has moslty sharp helping instincts and moves his feet well enough on the perimeter. He plays hard without being reckless, but if there's one thing he's guilty of, it's sagging off the arc. That was a problem the entire team had, allowing the most open 3-point attempts and if they all stop overhelping, it can save them around 10 points nightly. Still, if Larsson ever goes through a slump, it would be on offense way before defense. 

As a rookie, 15 players logged more minutes than him and it was only six last year. Considering how the team is built and all of his tools, he should be a lock to be top-five in minutes in 2026-27, even after Tim Hardaway Jr. was brought in.