Pelle Larsson makes most of Heat's surprise season-changing opportunity

Pelle Larsson didn't waste time making the most of a golden opportunity he was given by Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Now, there's reason to believe that Larsson may have done enough to prove that he deserves more minutes and a consistent role on this team.

Whether or not that will come when the Heat is fully healthy remains to be seen, but it's hard to argue with the results as Larsson looked great in the team's dominating win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.

With Norman Powell sidelined due to groin soreness, the Heat called on Larsson to spot-start in his absence. Larsson did more than just that, as he looked comfortable in a completely different role for the Heat.

Pelle Larsson is ready for a bigger role

Instead of coming off the bench, Larsson was asked to set the tone alongside the rest of the starting 5. Larsson answered the call, finishing with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and perhaps most importantly, zero turnovers or personal fouls.

Larsson also finished 3-6 from 3-point range.

He wasn't the only reason why the Heat took down the Hornets in dominating fashion, but he helped keep the offense free-flowing, and the team didn't have to deviate much despite not having their two best offensive threats in the lineup.

It not only speaks to the culture and system that Spo has put in place this year, but also to the work that Larsson has put in himself.

After three so-so performances this season, in which he was averaging less than 10 minutes played per game, Larsson looked natural. Playing 31 minutes for the Heat on Tuesday night, Larsson sent a strong message to Spo: he's ready for more, and can handle an extended role if called upon.

He also said all the right things after his breakout performance of the season.

Again, there's no guarantee that this performance alone will change much for Larsson in the Heat's pecking order moving forward. But, if nothing else, Spo now knows there's another player he can turn to if needed moving forward.

There's a sense that there have been some consistency issues with Larsson through the early portion of his career, which is no surprise by any means, but these are the types of performances that help gain that trust back.

It will be interesting to see how much this performance from Larsson impacts the way Spo uses him moving forward. But there's no question this is certainly an encouraging development for the Heat, especially with how hot-and-cold he was during his first three games of the season.