2024-25 Miami Heat Player Review: Pelle Larsson

We are officially one month removed from the conclusion of the 2024-25 Miami Heat season, which was one of the worst since the turn of the century. Over the next several (week)days, we will be reviewing how each Heat player performed throughout the 2024-25 season, recapping important numbers, best game(s) and their future outlook with the team. Today, we will be reviewing rookie wing Pelle Larsson!

Let’s dive into it, shall we?!?

• Bam Adebayo
• Kyle Anderson
• Alec Burks
• Tyler Herro
• Haywood Highsmith
• Jaime Jaquez Jr.
• Keshad Johnson
• Nikola Jovic

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Brief Overview:

2024-25 stats (55 games):

• 4.6 PTS
• 1.7 REB
• 1.2 AST
• 43.8 FG%
• 33.7 3P%
• 54.6 TS%

After they traded one pick back with the Atlanta Hawks, Larsson was drafted No. 44 overall by the Miami Heat in the 2024 NBA Draft. Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was quick to call Larsson a plug-and-play player before the season, even though he didn’t have a consistent role as a rookie.

The counting numbers weren’t there, but Larsson was one of the Heat’s top two-way guards and point-of-attack defenders. The limited sample of minutes he got, he took advantage of–even though they weren’t without miscues.

Numbers To Note:

35.8 – Larsson’s long-range shooting was shakier than expected during his rookie season. When you don’t get consistent playing time, that tends to happen. But when he was on the court, most of his usage was off-ball. And, believe it or not, despite sporting a 33.7 percent 3-point percentage, he shot 35.8 percent (29-81) from beyond the arc on spot-up triples. Of 36 rookies who attempted at least 50, Larsson’s 35.8 catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage ranks 11th, according to NBA.com’s shot tracking data.

4.4 – Larsson was subject to the rookie whistle a lot last season, being one of the most foul-prone rookies in the NBA. Larsson was super physical at the point-of-attack–at times, he was too physical. He racked up 4.4 fouls per 75 possessions, the fifth-most of 52 rookies who played at least 250 minutes. If you want to be a regular rotation player, that mark will have to get cut down. I think it will (he was subject to plenty of questionable calls), but he’s going to have to learn how to use his hands better, for as disruptive as he is.

2.9 – Heat needs to get back to having a tough identity defensively. Larsson would help in that department. While he was physical, he was one of the Heat’s most disruptive defenders, averaging 2.9 deflections per 36 minutes. That mark was the fifth-best on the team for those who played at least 500 minutes, trailing only Haywood Highsmith, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Best Game?

Larsson oftentimes stamped his impact without numbers, which you look for in young players. He was the quintessential glue guy at Arizona and knew how to perfect a role. However, his best, in my eyes, came on March 29 against the Philadelphia 76ers. In 30 minutes, Larsson tallied 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, but added six rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. His impact was loud against a beleaguered 76ers squad.

What’s next:

Larsson signed a three-year, $5.4 million contract via the second-round exception. His 2025-26 salary is partially guaranteed–only $978K of the $1.96 million–while his 2026-27 contract is a non-guaranteed club option.

I expect Larsson to be back in a more featured role, though I will have to see what the rest of the roster looks like. He had the worst shooting season of his life and was still impactful in a limited sample. He impacts winning. Miami has something here. If he can improve his long-range consistency, ball handling and foul issues defensively, you have yourself a legitimate rotation player and potentially more.

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