The Miami Heat are off to a 6-4 start, and if they maintain this pace, they could emerge as a 50-win team in 2025-26. Considering this team was picked by Vegas to win 37 games, Heat fans will take all the wins they can get right now, especially with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo sidelined.
And while we had some idea of who might step up and who might fade on this roster, the following three players have been bright spots we didn't see coming.
Pelle Larsson
Don't get it twisted that Pelle Larsson is a long-term, permanent solution for the Heat as a starter. He continues to be a defensive liability, and he has the worst defensive rating on the team, among players who have played at least five games.
But considering he was supposed to just be a rotational guard, and considering he is still a second-year player who was a second-round pick, he has held his own on the offensive side of the ball and has the 4th best offensive rating of anyone on the roster.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
If you are looking for a candidate for most improved player of the year, Jaime Jaquez Jr. can still be grabbed at great value (+2500).
What makes this start for JJJ even more remarkable is that he didn't emerge from the preseason as an obvious breakout candidate. Erik Spolestra tried him as a starter at times, but it just never seemed to click.
But he has found his home coming off the bench and has an astounding plus/minus of +12.9 per game right now. Of players who have played in at least five games, Nikola Jokic is the only player in the NBA with a better plus/minus this season.
The irony of it all is that his three-point shooting is still a massive liability, but he has been far more confident driving to the rim this season, and he has become a respectable rebounder.
Simone Fontecchio
When the Miami Heat traded away Duncan Robinson for Simone Fontecchio, it felt like a headscratcher from Miami. The Heat traded away one of their best three-point shooters for a guy who was a 33% three-point shooter last season.
But Fontecchio has been the absolute perfect spark plug off the bench and has turned into a three-point sniper for the Heat.
He is currently sitting at 50% from deep, tied for 3rd in the NBA among players with at least 40 total attempts from three.