The Miami Heat have turned heads in 2025-26 by trusting former second-round draft pick Pelle Larsson to step in as a starter. Larsson has started 26 of his 39 appearances this season, including eight of the Heat's past nine games.
Though Larsson is an undoubtedly talented player, he's also testing the limits of Heat Culture as head coach Erik Spoelstra turns to yet another inefficient shooter for major minutes.
Miami has built its success under Spoelstra on going against the grain and defying conventional standards. Its gamble on midrange scorer Jimmy Butler, for instance, paid off to the tune of two trips to the NBA Finals.
Butler isn't the only player the Heat have invested in who doesn't necessarily fit the modern mold of an NBA wing, of course, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. currently making a case for Sixth Man of the Year without a three-point shot.
Miami has shot relatively efficiently as a team, ranking No. 12 in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage. With Jaquez checking in at 27.4 percent and ranking sixth on the team in minutes, however, there couldn't possibly be space for another non-shooter in the rotation.
Larsson has proven otherwise, overcoming his 32.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc to provide quality minutes to the Heat in 2025-26.
Can Heat win meaningful games with two non-shooters in the rotation?
Larsson is shooting inefficiently from beyond the arc, but he's playing well in virtually every other phase of the game. He's shooting 58.1 percent on two-point field goals and is averaging 9.7 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per contest.
Larsson's averages translate to 14.8 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per 36 minutes, which are each up from 11.6, 3.0, and 4.2 as a rookie in 2024-25.
The numbers also reflect how Larsson has begun to provide the type of value that's been expected of Jaquez. It's not just that he can score, but that he can create for his teammates and operate efficiently within the three-point line.
Larsson is quietly excelling in that regard, as he ranks in the 81st percentile in field goal percentage at the rim and is converting 63.6 percent of his shots within eight feet of the basket.
He's also found a manner in which he can positively contribute as a shooter when all else fails, as he's made 36.8 percent of his corner threes. On the other end of the floor, Larsson ranks in the 90th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 76th percentile in ball screen navigation.
Considering Miami is 16-10 when Larsson starts and 9-12 when he either comes off the bench or doesn't play, it's safe to say Spoelstra's latest gamble on a hidden gem is paying off.