This Miami Heat season felt quite synonymous with iterations over the last five years: A directionless, rudderless swirl of mediocrity. This year, however, the Heat’s season ended before the postseason even began, snapping its six-year postseason streak, getting bounced in the 9-10 play-in game to the Charlotte Hornets.
That said, that doesn’t mean there weren’t any positive developments — individually. Who were a few?1 Let’s examine!
Pelle Larsson:
Skinny: In just his second season, Larsson broke out and developed into one of the Heat’s most important rotation players. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard averaged 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists on 49.6 percent shooting and 60.5 percent true shooting.
Larsson wasn’t incredibly disruptive defensively — but still was one of their best point-of-attack defenders, where he was oftentimes deployed on an opponent’s best or second-best shot creator. No matter the role he was thrust in, Larsson impacted the game positively; he’s been remarkably malleable since his days at Arizona. And that’s all you can ask from a role player.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.:
Skinny: Coming off a disappointing sophomore slump in 2024-25, Jaquez bounced back emphatically in 2025-26. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 57.0 percent true shooting.
Jaquez was a primary benefactor from the Heat’s new offense, especially since he developed more counters inside of 15 feet. As one of the team’s best slashers, ballhandlers and playmakers, his season was a huge positive from where it ended the year prior.
Kasparas Jakucionis:
Skinny: The Heat, understandably, slow-rolled Jakucionis into his rookie season. His positional size and skillset made him an incredibly intriguing prospect, but he still needed to refine his ball-handling before making the jump to the NBA.
Jakucionis, 19, emerged as a consistent rotation player post-All-Star break, and showcased plenty of positive developments. In his final 27 games, he averaged 8.1 points across 19.9 minutes on 49.6/44.2/88.4 shooting splits. His playmaking was as advertised, while his defense and 3-point shooting shattered any expectation.
He should be viewed as the Heat’s point guard of the future, bar none — even though he still has to improve as a ballhandler, advantage creator and finisher.
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One of them even maybe all these three could be shipped out in the very near future. Reality of pro sports its business also. But yes, bright spots indeed.
I would add Ware to that list. He needs instruction, playing time and moral support …not constant criticism and punishment.
By the way, here are some projections that may be eye opening for some folks. I won’t mention any names.
Based on their performance through the end of the 2025-2026 season, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel’el Ware would be drafted significantly higher in a re-draft, while Kasparas Jakucionis and Pelle Larsson are seen as steals who would also rise from their original positions.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (2023 – Originally 18th): Likely a Lottery Pick (Top 10-14). He was 4th in Rookie of the Year voting and 2nd in 6th Man of the Year voting, averaging ~15/5/5 this past season.Kel’el Ware (2024 – Originally 15th): Likely a Lottery Pick (Top 10-14). Regarded as a “steal” and a “legit 5” within the Heat’s young core, solidifying his value as a high-end starter.Kasparas Jakucionis (2025 – Originally 20th): Likely a Lottery Pick (Top 10-15). Evaluated as a potential steal of the 2025 draft, with executives surprised he dropped to 20th.Pelle Larsson (2024 – Originally 44th): Likely a Late First-Round Pick (25-30). Considered a high-IQ “3 & D” connector significantly exceeding his second-round value.
I can only imagine the caliber of players Miami will be able to aquire if it has lottery picks in 2026 and 2027. That makes much more sense than chasing windmills trying to attract superstars to a team that does not yet have the personnel to win jacksh*t! Jus sayin.
your a heat fan like all of us every team has jjjs pelles jacos.but maybe the generals,theyre ez to find,no ss all is for not.look at the other teams and compare pelle jjj theyre on every roster but we just concentrate on ours.do am indepth analysis of our competition every roster has those type guys.the great teams have diff makers aka ss
When you are building a house you don’t put the roof and finishing touches on first. You start by building a solid foundation. Players like Jaime, Pelle, Mitchell, Ware should be the foundation, not bargaining chips.
As Talking Heads say, “Stop Making Sense.”
As hard core cult members would say: “Don’t confuse me with the facts. My mind is made up.”
this is basketball not homes,when u build a team first objective find next d wade .i dont give a f about jjj pelle jaco there on every team 10 fold.get me a ss.for homes yes start with foundation not in hoops.
Yep I was thinking of Ware too. Very positve even if it just seems a small improvement.
Hmmm…. that list will be too bright for many eyes.
HAHAHAHA!! I recommend sunglasses. Of course, I may be accused of seeing the world through rose colored glasses. It’s good to laugh at oneself, so I will put the definition below.
“Seeing the world through rose-colored glasses” is an idiom for having an excessively optimistic, cheerful, or idealistic view, where one perceives only the pleasant aspects of a situation while ignoring negative realities. It suggests a distorted, overly positive perspective, often implying a naive refusal to see flaws or “red flags”
I don’t know what you’re talking about. One ss and Heat will be NBA champs.
Nicely put. All three are good players and belong. The question is are they able to hold up as starters? Jaime and Pelle are really close already.
That sounds like a personal problem.