Miami Heat neophyte Pelle Larsson put together a standout performance in the team’s preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 8. He scored 10 points while shooting 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from 3-point range.
So, fans likely were wondering why he saw the court for under 16 minutes in the Heat’s next preseason bout against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. Someone asked Heat insider Ira Winderman why Larsson didn’t get more playing time against the Pelicans, and he implied that minutes will be hard to come by for the youngster in his rookie season.
“Likely where they will mostly be this season, at least at the start – at the back end of the rotation, if at all,” Winderman wrote in response to why Larsson didn’t play more after a solid preseason debut. “The minutes in the preseason opener came with Jaime Jaquez Jr. out. With Jaquez back against the Pelicans, it had the Heat 10 deep before Pelle entered. And that was with Alec Burks given the night off and with Josh Richardson still sidelined. Pelle Larsson’s minutes won’t be gifted, and he will face stiff veteran competition.”
Not only did Larsson not play all that much against New Orleans, but he didn’t make the most of his scoring opportunities when he was on the court either. He missed all but one of his six shots from the floor, and none of his three 3s found the bottom of the net.
Fortunately for Larsson, though, he won’t have to wait all that long before he’ll have a chance to redeem himself for his quiet performance at Kaseya Center. The Heat have a preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, and that contest will also take place at Miami’s home arena.
Larsson was drafted by the Heat with the No. 44 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Swedish native played four seasons of college basketball, the last three of which were spent at the University of Arizona.
The 23-year-old served as a jack of all trades for the Wildcats during the 2023-24 college basketball season, as he averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.9 steals per contest. He contributed in those areas of the game all while being quite the efficient scorer, as he shot 51.9 percent from the floor and 42.6 percent from 3-point range in his senior season.
Larsson could be a contributor for the team in the near future thanks to his unique skill set, but fans of the Heat shouldn’t expect him to see the floor a whole lot in his inaugural season in the pros for a Miami team that is gunning for the 2025 NBA title.