Basketball

Offseason checklist for Pelle Larsson heading into his third year

By Brady Hawk Sports Illustrated

The Heat's second year player and second round pick Pelle Larsson was one of the real bright spots of this gloomy season.

After a decent rookie season that included more playing time than originally expected, he utilized that long off-season before his sophomore year to really improve his game.

From on-ball reps with his national team to his high usage with the Heat's summer league squad, Larsson was already taking strides prior to his second season.

All of that off-season work turned into a year that included 70 games played, while he started in 54 of those. He averaged over 11 points a night while shooting 59% from two point land all season long, and that's without even mentioning the elite wing defense he has provided.

With the season coming to a close on Tuesday night in Charlotte, the focus now shifts to what is next. And for Pelle Larsson, as he talked about in his end of season exit interview today, it's all about taking an even bigger step heading into his third year.

" I think my game will always involve a lot of close-out situations, playing alongside other great players and taking advantage of the little things that they create," Larsson mentioned about his offensive game.

"I want my shot to feel more comfortable and get better," he continued. "I want to shoot more threes as well going into the next season."

Larsson is one of those rare cases where the eye test feels like he shot better than the stats suggest. He knocked down less than 33% of his threes this year, while attempting 2.7 a game.

The jumper itself is smooth and the mechanics are clean, but as he suggested, it's about gaining confidence in that area of his game to really see it blossom.

Larsson also mentioned taking a look into some more on-ball opportunities, as it appears that's where his game could be heading next.

"Starting with initiating offense a little bit more, I saw Jaime (Jaquez Jr) do it all year with that second unit really well," Larsson noted. "Starting with the ball off the dribble is something I'm going to be working on as well as my shot."

Larsson is such an effective attacker due to his physicality in those catch-and-go situations off the ball, but his actual finishing ability has gone underrated.

He finishes with both hands, can be aggressive around the basket to simply finish with a loud dunk over the top of you, and just makes chaotic plays deep in that paint.

If he actually wants to make that jump and initiate more offense next season, there are two things that'll need to be drilled down in off-season workouts.

The first one is his ball-handling. While it's been steady in his role up to this point, that's only going to grow comfort in a true on-ball role like Jaquez Jr, who doesn't get enough credit for that part of his game.

The second part is building a go-to shot in that in-between game. Whether it's the Tyler Herro floater or the Andrew Wiggins baby hook/push shot or the Jaquez Jr spin/turnaround jumper, these on-ball reps will lead to teams pushing you away from deep drives and into a further space.

This will be an interesting off-season for Larsson, who is already on a solid track.

Most players give the cliche answers about "working on my entire game" when talking about off-season focuses, but Larsson is a player that genuinely fits that description.

Maximizing that three-ball, becoming a better passer, branching out into a new offensive role. Should be some fun growth for one of the Heat's most promising young pieces.



This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as Offseason checklist for Pelle Larsson heading into his third year.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM.

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