NBA
Miami’s Erik Spoelstra expects this second-year pro to take a step forward in ’25-26
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated3 hours ago on August 21, 2025
In 2024-25, the Miami Heat finished 37-45. It was their worst record since 2014-15. Heading into next season, Miami will have one of the youngest rosters in the NBA.
This week, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was overseas to watch one of his young players in EuroBasket. That was second-year pro, Pelle Larsson. While at the game, Spoelstra hopped on the broadcast to talk about Miami’s expectations for 2025-26. He specifically mentioned Larsson’s strong work ethic and believes the young guard can take a step forward in the upcoming season.
Pelle Larsson could see an expanded role in year two for the Heat
“What [Pelle Larsson] does are the things that we value. He’s tough. He makes winning plays. … He will continue to get better because he has a great work ethic, and outside of that, he’s just a great human being.”
— Erik Spoelstra
— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) August 21, 2025
With a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Pelle Larsson was selected by the Rockers. However, he was traded on draft night to the Heat. Larsson played in 55 games and made eight starts for Miami in 2024-25. He averaged 4.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Additionally, he averaged 14.2 minutes per contest.
Speaking with a broadcast team at EuroBasket, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra shared his expectations for Pelle Larsson. Spolestra mentioned how Larsson started to “carve out a bigger role” at the end of the season. His career high as a rookie was 16 points. He did that twice, both in the final two months of the regular season.
It’s great seeing Coach Spo and Adam Simon flying out to Sweden to watch Pelle Larsson hoop.
Tomorrow, they’ll be in Serbia to check in on Nikola Jovic👀 pic.twitter.com/hZm5tUmv9W
— 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 (@WadexFlash) August 21, 2025
Erik Spolestra and Miami’s coaching staff seem to have faith in Pelle Larsson for the 2025-26 season. There’s a strong chance he is part of the Heat’s second unit. Duncan Robinson parted ways with Miami this offseason. He vacates over 24 minutes of playing time off the bench. If Pelle Larsson has a strong training camp, he could easily become the backup shooting guard.
The Swedish guard showed promise during his rookie season, and Miami has expectations in year two. Larsson flashed two-way abilities for the Heat. Miami’s coaching staff has faith in Pelle Larsson. Can he elevate his game in year two and be a legitimate role player off the bench? Erik Spoelstra certainly thinks he can.
