By playing less than 12 total minutes through two regular-season games, the Miami Heat are sending a strong message to Pelle Larsson without saying a word. The message is this: if he wants to carve out a consistent role on the Heat, he's going to have to be more consistent.
So far this season, Larsson has not been leaned on at all, which is somewhat surprising after all the momentum he had built during the offseason. With a strong showing in the summer league and in the EuroBasket Tournament, there was a growing belief that Larsson had done enough to demand a larger role on the Heat this season.
Something clearly changed, and Larsson is struggling to get any playing time.
Pelle Larsson's curious start to the season
In the season-opener, Larsson logged just four minutes and finished with zero points on 0-1 shooting from the field. Unfortunately, he did have two fouls in that short stint. And that was probably one of the bigger reasons why he didn't get more time on the floor. His untimely fouling and decision-making have been an issue for him in the past. It's clear he hasn't completely shaken it off.
In the second game of the season, Larsson logged eight minutes. However, most of that was in garbage time. If the Heat aren't blowing out Memphis, there's probably a chance Larsson doesn't even enter the game.
If nothing else, it does give you a good indication of where Larsson stands among the rest of the rotation players on this roster.
And it's not a great sign.
The fact that Larsson can't get minutes with Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis sidelined with injuries is not a great endorsement for his chance to break through this season.
If Larsson can't sniff the floor with the Heat thin on the wing, I can't imagine that's going to change much when the team is back at full health. And, if nothing else, it does add another curious chapter to the early story of Larsson's career.
Just when it seemed as if Larsson had begun to turn the corner and earn real estate in the good graces of Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, all of that is now back under question. This is not to say that Larsson's role on the Heat can't evolve over the next few games or weeks, but, at least for now, it's pretty clear that his standing with the team is in question.
The Heat are clearly sending an early-season message to Larsson. The question is, how will he respond?