Heat’s Erik Spoelstra calls Pelle Larsson an “elite role player”

Larsson was a highlight during Monday’s Heat scrimmage where he scored 21 points (led the whole roster), nine assists, and three rebounds while shooting 10 of 16 from the field. Spoelstra would say after the session at Kaseya Center how he’s already an “elite role player.”

“I think that’s what is so interesting about the draft process for all the different teams, each team has their own philosophy,” Spoelstra said. “Each team values different things. He’s an elite role player and 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,” Spoelstra continued. “Well, he does all of those things, and he could fit in like he did in Arizona and be a super high level impacting role player. And you can see how he can be a plug and play with his maturity, his physicality, the fact that he does on both ends, and he knows to how to fit in. Those are hard things to teach, particularly the way the game has been trending in America with the development of AAU and everything. He’s a little bit of a throwback. He’s a savvy, experienced player that knows how to impact winning.”

Heat’s Pelle Larsson impressing in scrimmage and preseason opener

There could be a certain connotation with the term of a “breakout” player where they have to reach superstar status, but Larsson here is a different story. A breakout season for Larsson would him being a reliable go to player for Spoelstra to come off the bench and bring defense and a threat on offense.

In the scrimmage, Larsson was all over the court on both sides of the floor being very active as he also made an impact in the preseason opener Tuesday where he scored 10 points, two assists, and one steal shooting four of five from the field. Spoelstra brought Larsson out as one of the first five off the bench and spoke about his solid training camp according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

“He’s been steady and consistent pretty much all of camp, all of September, and most of the summer as well for that matter,” Spoelstra said . “He’s a very good role player and I mean that as the highest compliment.”

Larsson has the opportunity to make an immediate impact with the team as he has the exact right mindset which is akin to a veteran in the NBA. When talking to the media after the preseason opener, Larsson would understand what his role with Miami is and is excited for his future as he gets more mature in the league according to Sports Illustrated.

“I think just having a few more years under your belt, maturity,” Larsson said. “Whatever level of basketball it is, you kind of just slow down a little bit yourself, on the court and off the court.”

“I am right where I want to be,” Larsson continued. “Every day is more fun to get to know these guys and play with them. It’s a blessing.”

Why the Heat originally drafted Pelle Larsson

There is no wonder why Miami drafted Larsson as when looking at his film from the University of Arizona, he had a defensive intensity that the team salivates over. The Heat’s Assistant General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Adam Simon spoke about Larsson after the team drafted him back in late June and said they’ve been having their eye on him for many years.

“Pelle [Larsson] is player we’ve been watching for years,” Simon said. “We’ve done a lot of work with Coach Lloyd out in Arizona, both for him and Keshad actually, we were very high on both of those guys. And I think Larsson what he shows us is well rounded, versatile player. With 38 inch vertical, big hands, has a little bit of an edge to him. And we thought he would already fit in here with his versatility, obviously his ability to shoot and a defensive mindset. So for us it was obviously we had him as the top player on our board when we went to pick and it so happened that we had an opportunity to swap one spot and for us, we got the same player we would have had 43 to pick 44 and we made that decision to pick them at 44.”

Last season with the Wildcats, Larsson averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from the three-point line. Along with first-round pick and seven-foot Kel’el Ware out of Indiana University, this draft class for the Heat could be very special, especially in the immediate future.

Pelle Larsson looks for immediate impact with the Heat

The team does not need Larsson to be a superstar player from the get go as said before, but the fact Spoelstra even said that he is already an “elite role player” speaks volumes to what they think he can be in the future with the team. While already being a talented player, he is now with a Heat team that has developed players of his skillset into valuable NBA players.

Besides the defensive intensity and three-point shooting he brings, the Heat has always loved players who have an immense amount of experience in college which was a point for Jaime Jaquez Jr. the draft before having played four full years. Larsson is in the same boat playing four seasons of college basketball along with his Arizona teammate Keshad Johnson where his goal is to prove the team got the selection right.

“You’re going to just see what they give you and how they want your development,” Larsson said at the team media day. “You’ve got to just give it your all and see what comes with it.”

“Just how hard I play,” Larsson continued. “They drafted me because I was that type of player. I’m just going to double down and prove to them why they have me here.”

At any rate, Miami hopes Larsson can help them improve after a second straight season finishing at the eighth seed and being eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Their next preseason game is the home opener Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans and the regular season starts on Oct. 23 vs. the Orlando Magic.