Tyler Herro offers surprisingly high praise for standout Heat rookie

From the game-winning shot in the Las Vegas Summer League championship game to a pair of clutch free throws in the Miami Heat’s recent preseason game, rookie Pelle Larsson is making coaches and teammates watch.

Count Tyler Herro as one of his biggest fans. In a conversation with Bally Sports’ Jeremy Taché, Herro said Larsson is ready to play a role right away.

“Everybody thinks he needs a couple years but I’m like, he’s ready to play now,” Herro said on the “Miami Mic’d Up” podcast. “He does all the little things you need to win a [championship]. He’s going to be good.”

Pelle Larsson has made an early impression on his Heat coaches and teammates.

Larsson, a second-round pick out of Arizona in June’s draft, is a 6-foot-5 swingman who has earned similar praise from coach Erik Spoelstra, who recently called him “an elite role player.”

“If you mention that to some organizations, they probably think that that’s horrible. I think it fits absolutely with our style of play, our culture, how we view players and how they impact winning.

“He knows how to defend multiple positions, he brings you physicality on that side of the floor. Offensively, he moves very well without the ball, so he could be a connector with whatever unit he plays. And also, he’s been really working diligently on his shooting.”

Larsson came off the bench in Miami’s first three preseason games and averaged 7 points on 46% shooting (42.9% on 3s), 1.0 rebound and 1.7 assists. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but his hustle leaps off the screen. Larsson is constantly swatting at the ball for deflections, leaping for rebounds and diving for loose balls. All the stuff that will ingratiate him to the Heat decision-makers.

Unfortunately for him, there isn’t a path to consistent playing time in the regular season. At least not while the roster is mostly healthy. The wings ahead of Larsson on the depth chart include Jimmy Butler, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, Haywood Highsmith and Alec Burks. Josh Richardson, once he returns from his shoulder injury, will also get a shot at playing time.

But if what Herro and Spoelstra say is true, then Larsson will be a valuable option if and when the Heat are playing games through injuries. Spoelstra likes to tell young players, “Make me watch, then make me play you.”

Larsson has already done the first part.