Every year, it feels like the Miami Heat unearth another second-round or undrafted gem. Their scouting department is the stuff of legends. Their work on the margins has been instrumental in their continued prosperity as an organization— they even made a Finals run on the backs of Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Gabe Vincent (well, and Jimmy Butler, of course).
This season, 2024 second-round pick Pelle Larsson has emerged as a trusted contributor for the Heat. He’s started 26 contests, playing 23.5 minutes a night and averaging 9.7 points. With each passing game, Larsson looks more and more like Miami’s next success story.
The first thing to know about Larsson is he’s one tough cookie. Don’t let his preppy appearance fool you. “Heat Culture” isn’t as prominent as it once was, but Larsson is helping keep it alive. He’s a fearless slasher who embraces and initiates physicality. Driving and getting to the free throw line are the 24-year-old’s strongest traits, literally and figuratively. He draws 4.3 fouls per 75 possessions (87th percentile) and finishes through contact at a 68th percentile rate (per BBall Index). Someone runs an account on X called “did Pelle get hit in the face?”, and on Heat gamedays, the answer is yes more often than not.
Larsson excels in catch-and-attack scenarios against closeouts, but he’s at his very best in transition. He runs the floor hard and finds the right lanes to position himself for easy buckets. He’ll even get up and catch a lob here and there. The Arizona product generates 1.18 stable points per possession in transition, which grades in the 79th percentile. He doesn’t just score in the open floor, he creates looks for others, too.
The Swedish wing complements his forceful approach on the court with keen decision-making. He’s not much of a true playmaker (yet), but he’s the definition of a connector. He’s a sharp passer in the half court who knows how to read help defense and find his allies in their spots. Larsson generates 4.36 high value assists (assists on threes or rim attempts) per 75 possessions, a 77th percentile rate.
On defense, Larsson is technically sound. He’s disciplined when guarding the ball, always playing D with his feet rather than his hands. He does a solid job containing his man and grades out as an 89th percentile perimeter isolation defender according to BBall Index. The sophomore does have some athletic deficiencies, though, and he’s a little too vulnerable to blow-bys and high-release jumpers to be considered a truly good defensive player at this time. He averages just 0.8 steals (20th percentile) and 0.35 blocks (34th percentile) per 75 possessions, unimpressive figures that correlate with his below-par physical tools.
Still, Larsson’s combination of finishing, passing and defensive know-how have made him a viable rotation player in this league already, and he has plenty of room left to grow. One way he could raise his ceiling is by becoming a more effective shooter. He shot 39.7% from three and 81.4% from the charity stripe in his college career, but those numbers are down to just 32.9% and 71.6% so far in the NBA. He’s not a high-volume guy, taking just 2.9 three-point attempts per game this season, and his misses fall all over the place on the rim. If he can channel some of his college self and get his efficiency from beyond the arc up to at least a league-average level, he’d be close to the ideal playoff role player.
Another skill Larsson could explore further is pick-and-roll ball handling. The Heat run a P&R-averse offense, so he doesn’t get a ton of reps, but he could likely play really well off ball screens because of his passing and slashing chops, as well as his patience. Being able to operate as a tertiary creator to some degree could elevate Larsson from role player to full-time starter status.
Pelle Larsson isn’t going to be an All-Star. Realistically, he won’t be anything close to that. But, he doesn’t need to be that. He’s already a highly useful supporting wing, the type of guy coaches want on the floor and teammates want to go to war with in important games. Larsson is enjoying a quality 2025-26 season, and he’s well on his way to proving himself as Miami’s next second-round gem.
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