Miami Heat Have A HIDDEN GEM On Their Roster!

Miami Heat Have A HIDDEN GEM On Their Roster!

[Music] The Miami Heat may have a hidden gem on their roster and we’re going to take a look who that could be and why I believe a bigger role this season is on the horizon for this player. I am Nick Rolloff. This is the Heat Report by Chat Sports. But who is that hidden gem, you ask? Well, it’s none other than the second round pick from 2024, KL Larson. Bleacher Report put out an article of a hidden gem on each team. They had Larson as the player for Miami. And if I’ll be honest, if you asked me who the hidden gem is on the Miami Heat roster, I probably would have answered with Pel Larson myself. It would have been either him or Haywood Highmith because I think Highmith’s one of the most underrated players that no one talks about in terms of his 3 and D impact. But Larson with his youth certainly is a player that I’ve got my eye on. And he is about to enter his second year in the NBA. I am very excited for his second season. Are you with me? If you are, hit that thumbs up icon. If Larson happens to scroll across this YouTube video, I want him to know that he fans are excited for him. So join me and show them by liking today’s show. Let’s show what Bleacher Report said about the secondyear guard and then I’ll get into my thoughts. Luch report said that Pel Larson looked at the part of the rotation player during his stints at the California Classic and Vegas Summer League, predominantly thanks to the ease in which he could make things happen when getting downhill. This is a restrained burst to how he will go after defenders with or without a ball screen. He is not overtly fast, but he definitely turns corners and burrows his way through openings. him. I will say the statistics were solid for Larson at summer league, but he did shoot inefficiently. We’ll look at those numbers here in a second. But if you were just talking about the eye test of, hey, is this player probably too good to play in summer league? I think Pel Larson passed those eye tests with flying colors. Like I mentioned, the efficiency wasn’t great. He struggled with his shot from beyond the arc and just barely shot over 40% from the field. But when you watch him defend, you watch him get to his spots and draw fouls, that is something where you’re like coming away with this, it’s like, okay, there really is no need for Larson to be here consistently. This is an NBA level rotation guy. And I mentioned the physicality he displayed in his ability to get to the charity stripe. In the five games that he played in summer league between Vegas and the California Classic, he averaged nine free throws a game in those games. And it’s just a bit egregious to think that he’s able to get there. Remember Shakos as Alexander and the foul baiting talks? Yeah, he averaged nine free throws a game this past season. So, it’s not like it will translate to the NBA because Larson was going up against players that are rookies, new to the league, and guys who aren’t really capable of holding rotation spots. but he did what he’s supposed to do in his knack for getting to the charity stripe drew me in because like okay does he have more of an onball presence in the NBA than maybe I originally thought. Let’s get back to Bleach Report here who said the knack for inciting and working through contact extends to the middle of the floor where he’s no stranger to putting defenders on his back hip and unccoring a floater. the handle can run a little wide, but his overall live dribble poise opens up opportunities for those playing beside him. And that’s kind of where I just was, right? were watching him in summer league and I mentioned it’s lower competition. Yes. But it brought me to the conclusion that maybe there is a world where Larson I wouldn’t call him a point guard by any stretch of the imagination, but I would feel confident with Larson being a secondary ball handler at times in some Heat lineups. Do I think that it’s his best role? No. But I think he showed the capability of potentially running a pick and roll from time to time. maybe in the flow of a halfcourt set in a curl into a pick and roll with a KL wear or a bam at a bio and his physicality on both ends of the floor is another thing that really stood out. I don’t want to hit that point so often in this video, but if there is one takeaway from Larson this summer, it’s his NBA frame and the physicality he played with on a day and nightly basis. And we’re going to get more into Larson here, but I want to know your one word on Pel Larson. I’m going to give you mine here in a second, but before I do, I don’t want you to steal mine. Let me hear yours down in the comment section. My one word on Larson, grinder. I mean, you think about what he did in his career to get to this point. He grinded it out at Arizona, finding a way to finally get a rotational spot and was one of their top contributors in his final two years of his career at Arizona. And no one expected him to be an NBA guy, but Miami had a keen eye on Larson. And with how the Heat like their players in the organization, it does not surprise me. tough-nosed, hardnosed type of guy who really just cares about winning more than his personal accolades and he grinds for everything that he has gotten in his career. And in Larson’s rookie season, he appeared in 55 games, played in about 14 minutes a night, so when he was on the floor, he didn’t get a ton of playing time. He wasn’t asked to do a lot. He was tasked at some points with defending opposing players top guards and wings. Zel room never forget they had Paul Larson Garson Jason Tatum in a game but obviously with a full off season and NBA program and understanding what is required and what is going on in the NBA you would project Larson to be much more efficient and impactful offensively in his second season with the Miami Heat. We don’t have to wonder about his defensive abilities. he competes there. I would argue he’s one of the best defensive players on this Heat roster when it comes to guarding the perimeter. I would put him not in the same tier as DaVon Mitchell or Haywood Highmith potentially, but I think Larson has the potential to be in the same tier of Andrew Wiggins level defenders on the wing and on the perimeter. Wiggins is a little bit longer than Larson in terms of his wingspan and height, but Larson can guard the twos and the ones in the NBA much more efficiently than I think Andrew Wiggins can. And if you look at Pel Larson’s defensive advanced stats from a year ago on crafted NBA, you see that with a larger role, he could really start to hone in even more here. He ranked in the 72nd percentile in deflections in adjusted defensive turnovers forced 89th percentile. That was one thing that he did very well. He gets on the floor as well. He will make the extra hustle plays. 71st percentile in defensive rebounding, 67th percentile in versatility, and in the crafted NBA defensive plus minus category, he was a positive defender. And in the 64th percentile, is he an elite defender? No, but he was certainly an above average defender in his rookie season while he was tasked with guarding a lot of the top players on opposing teams when he did see his limited action. So, it leaves me with the thought that this could be something where he is used more as an primary on ball defender going forward. Make sure you are subscribed to the channel because we will have you covered with news, rumors, and more around this basketball team. Whether it’s talking about individual players like Larson today, subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss any video we put out because it is on the daily. I would expect Pel Larson to have a larger role on the Miami Heat in his second season. Now, the Miami Heat roster could see a couple moves still to come before the season gets here in October. as Miami, as you are well aware, is trying to get underneath the luxury tax. They need to shed about $1.5 million in salary. Could see a wave stretch, could see a trade, but there could be another deal. But Larson, I would expect him to have a predominant role off the bench. Now, is he going to be one of the first two people off the heat bench? No. But he could absolutely be a third or fourth guy off the bench. That seventh, eighth, ninth man potentially. ninth man. I don’t know if that would be the case. I would play Pel Larson. I don’t know if this is a hot take and maybe y’all will think I’m crazy. I’m ready to play Pel Larson over Haimeme Hake. I am. I’m sorry. I know Haime had an unbelievable rookie season, but Haime is an older player for a third-year guy, and he was so unplayable at times in his second season that he’s got to prove to me that he should be on the floor before I give him minutes over Larson because Larson showed me more down the stretch of last year. So, when I think about the Heat bench, I’m thinking Yoic and DaVon Mitchell, first two guys off. And then I would think Haywood Highmith and Larson as that seventh eighth man with Haime being your ninth guy and then probably seeing Simone Fonteo as that tenth man at least as of now with no true backup center. So I do think Larson will be a key contributor for this Heat team off of the bench and it’s hard to argue against it. We showed his advanced defensive numbers. We showed his offensive numbers from last season. Well, if you just look at the advanced metrics in terms were the Heat a better team with him on or off the floor, they were better on because as a personal player, but really this stat is the Miami Heat’s offensive rating and defensive rating when he’s personally on the floor for the most part, he had a positive 2.4 rating. So, Miami gets better when he is playing for them. It’s not rocket science. You play the players that contribute to winning the most. And to me, I think Larson contributes to winning the most. Does he have as good as a finishing game as a high junior if you’re comparing those two? No. But I believe Larson is a better defender. He’s more better physically. He’s actually a better three-point shooter as well. So to me, when you start to stack up of what Miami could look for in a connecting piece to fit around a Norman Powell, Bameio, Colar hero quadrant going forward in games. Well, maybe Larson is a player that could fit that mold. More coming here in just one second, but I had to tell you about this unbelievable deal. This Heat Culture black hoodie, which I think is just so sleek. 56% off. Yes, you heard that correctly. Usually 120 now available for $53. Just go to chatsports.com/heatsale. Links in the description and comments of today’s video. I can’t believe this deal. I can’t imagine it’s still going to be live much longer. So take advantage right now. Now, when you talk about the Miami Heat roster and where things stand right now, the only problem that I have with what Miami has is that they have too many wings on this roster. If you just look at the bench, there are six wings. Six. There’s 15 players that are on an NBA standard roster. Usually, the Heat currently have 14. So if you do the math, there’s nine players on a bench compared to the starters. Six of your nine bench players are on the wing. Yoic, Hakez, Larson, Fontekio, Kashad Johnson, Haywood Highmith. The other players not mentioned are obviously Casperis, Yakachonis, and Ter Terrosir, and DaVon Mitchell. So you have three point guards and six wings. Also speaks to the fact that you don’t have any backup big men. That is an issue as well. But you can’t play everyone here. Like it’s just physically impossible because you’re not going to play 13 players every single night because you know DaVon Mitchell is going to get playing time. Rosir is obviously not. But when you start to think about wanting to develop players like Larson, like Yoic more, you probably still want to develop Hakas a little bit as well. How are you going to do all of that when you have that many wings coming off of the bench? Because it’s not like you’re not gonna play Andrew Wiggins 30 minutes a night. Bam is gonna play 30 plus minutes a night. Wear’s gonna play at least 27 28 minutes a night. Like where are the minutes coming from for some of these younger wings that you have off the bench especially when we know Yovic is going to be one of the more prioritized guy. He’ll certainly play 23 25 minutes a night without hesitation. It might be more than that if he continues to develop the way that I think he can. So, I think there’s a couple, at least one players on this bench that will probably be left out. So, if there were one player that we just showed that is a wing coming off the bench for Miami, who should be left out of their rotation, let me know that player you think it should be. This is nowhere indicative of my thoughts on who should be left out. Because if we’re being real, I would probably leave out Hawk as in uh Kashad Johnson. If you want to win, if you want to develop, then you’re probably going to leave out Fonteo and Kashad Johnson. But a player that I just think should be moved is Haywood Heisman. And I spoke earlier in the video. I think he’s arguably the second most underrated player on this Heat team with Pel Larson. And I love Haywood and the way that he has found himself into an impactful role on this roster. but he’s got an expiring four 5.6 million contract. There is value around the league in Haywood. And what I mean is you can get two, three second round picks in return for Highmith. Heck, you might be able to get a protected first round pick for Highmith if a contending team is desperate for defense and three-point shooting help off of their bench. You can also just flip him for potentially a backup center that you need to balance your roster out a little more. I have floated out the idea of trading Haywood Highmith to the Suns who have coveted Haywood in the past for Nick Richards to be your backup center because he makes $5 million a year. The point is I love Haywood, but if you are going with a more of a youth movement, he’s on an expiring deal. I don’t want to lose him for nothing. I’d like to recoup some assets rather than just letting his 5.6 6 mill expire because it’s not that much expiring salary. So why not move him for a center potentially or draft capital paving the way for more minutes for a guy like Pel Larson. Certainly a move that I would make. You want more around the Miami Heat? My social media is the perfect way to get that. Nick rolloff is the handle. Go give me a follow because I’m talking heat basketball every day in between our videos over there. [Music]

Pelle Larsson was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2024 NBA Drafty from the University of Arizona. Larsson appeared in 55 games as a rookie, and showcased an ability to be a high-level rotation piece. Heat Report host Nic Rohloff covers the Heat news, and Miami Heat rumors after Bleacher Report labeled Pelle Larsson as a hidden gem on the Heat roster. Larsson highlighted his game during NBA Summer League, and looks to carve out a meaningful role on this Miami Heat roster. This Miami Heat YouTube video features everything you need to know about the Miami Heat!

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Bleacher Report on Pelle Larsson:
“Pelle Larsson looked the part of a rotation player during his stints at the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, predominantly thanks to the ease with which he could make things happen when getting downhill. There is a restrained burst to how he will go after defenders, with or without a ball screen. He is not overtly fast, but he deftly turns corners and burrows his way through openings. That knack for inciting and working through contact extends to the middle of the floor, where he’s no stranger to putting defenders on his back hip and uncorking a floater. The handle can run a little wide, but his overall live-dribble poise opens up opportunities for those playing beside him.”

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Pelle Larsson Summer League stats:
Summer League (3 GP): 18.0 PPG, 3.7 APG, 2.3 RPG, 43.3 FG%, 33.3 3P%
California Classic (2 GP): 16.5 PPG, 2.0 APG, 4.0 RPG, 40.9 FG%, 14.3 3P%

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Pelle Larsson rookie stats and highlights:
4.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 43.8 FG%, 33.7 3P%

Miami Heat 2024 Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra
Assistant Coach: Chris Quinn
Assistant Coach: Malik Allen
Assistant Coach: Caron Butler
Assistant Coach/Player Development: Octavio De La Grana
Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development: Anthony Carter
Assistant Coach/Player Development: Eric Glass
Head Athletic Trainer: Wes Brown
Player Development: Rob Fodor
Director of Basketball Administration: Scott Gurka
Director of NBA Scouting/Advance Scouting: Chas Kammerer
Analyst: Bob Chaikin
Video Coordinator: Dan Bisaccio
Executive Assistant to the President: Remy Ndiaye
Video Room Interns: Mario Casamajor, Maggie Maranz, Phillip Leibham

HEAT FANS! Have thoughts on today’s show? Well let it be known down in the comments section:
– One-word on Pelle Larsson?
– Which wing should be left out?

Pelle Larsson advanced stats:
Off RTG: 111.1
Def RTG: 108.7
Net RTG: 2.4

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