The Miami Heat selected Pelle Larsson out of Arizona with the 44th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Larsson is 23 years old, stands at 6-foot-5, has a 6-foot-7.8 wingspan and weighs 212 pounds. He is a good shooter and a promising on-ball defender. Among those still on the board, he was perhaps the most proven.
Higher upside guys like Tyler Smith and KJ Simpson were off the board. Miami took a player who knows his role and has tools that are valuable in Miami. Larsson can come into the league and can make threes (42.6% from three this past season) right away.
Larsson is a sneaky athlete who is a lob threat on the break, is a solid defender who fights through screens and knows where to be on the court. I'd like Larsson to improve his handle because he does show flashes when attacking the rim. He's a willing passer as well. Larsson will get a lot of reps as part of Miami's G League affiliate as he develops.
Here are his best-case and worst-case player comp scenarios.
Best-case scenario: Grayson Allen
Grayson Allen and Pelle Larsson have similar builds. They stand at 6-foot-5 and have similar wingspans (Allen 6-foot-6, Larsson 6-foot-7). Larsson's jump shot is identical to Allen's.
It's a slower release, but when he has time to get their shot off, there is a good chance the ball is going in. Allen led the NBA last season in three-point shooting at 45.8%. If Larsson can even get close to that shooting percentage, then Miami got a steal.
Since entering the league, Allen has improved every year. He has worked on his handle well enough to attack the rim. Larsson has the tools to be a similar player to Allen.
Best-case scenario: Max Strus
Max Strus is very similar to Pelle Larsson. With both guys being the same height, Strus is a bit of a streaky shooter who can shoot the ball in various ways. Larsson is more of a stand-still shooter who needs space to shoot, but like Strus can develop because of a smooth shooting stroke.
Like Strus, Larsson is a sneaky athlete who can put the ball on the floor and make the right play. Larsson has more upside defensively than Strus, but Strus is the stronger player. Larsson will be a good role player who knows where to be on the court.
Worst-case scenario: Kyle Singler
Kyle Singler had a great college career at Duke but his NBA career wasn’t anything like college. Singler struggled to shoot the ball at the next level and couldn’t keep up defensively.
Some guys are good college players whose games don't translate to the NBA. However, I don’t think Larsson will have that problem. Larsson has more range and is a better athlete and is quick enough to defend on the perimeter.
If Larsson doesn’t work on having a quicker release, getting his shot off will be hard. Miami's coaching staff has done wonders with worse shooting strokes.
Out of the three scenarios, Larsson has the potential to be like Grayson Allen. On paper, they have a lot of similar traits and play alike. Allen was the best three-point shooter in the league this past season. If Larsson can be one of the better shooters in the league who can make plays off the dribble and defend his position, then Miami has a steal.