MIAMI – It was an interesting sight Friday after practice where Miami Heat captain Bam Adebayo was running one-on-ones with rookie Pelle Larsson, a sign that the rookie has already built camaraderie within the team. As the Heat's second-round selection looks for more playing time, he discusses the work he's putting in to force the team to give him minutes.
“It's really good,” Larsson said on the process of building relationships with his Miami teammates. “I think every day more and more, you spend a lot of time with each other, especially on this past road trip we were gone like two weeks, so you got nothing but time with each other. So, yeah, definitely getting closer to everyone.”
Bam Adebayo and Pelle Larsson 1 v 1. Bam got the best of the rookie.
— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) November 22, 2024
Just now, Pelle stripped Bam of the ball, good play. #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/kwHgW2HCqP
Drafted out of the University of Arizona, Larsson has already shown spurts of being a productive role player on the team, but as with any rookie, they have to earn the opportunity. However, the 23-year-old understands the process and embraces the stance of staying “prepared” when the time comes.
“It's learning how to always be prepared,” Larsson said. “You don't know if you're going to get in a game or if you're gonna get to play 25, so you just gotta be ready when they put you in. And that's something I'm working on and gonna have a lot of use of in my career.”
Heat's Pelle Larsson on relationship with fellow rookie Kel'el Ware
So far this season, there were some games where the Swedish basketball player didn't log any playing time, but there had been a four-game stretch from Nov. 2 to Nov. 8 where he played extended minutes. In two of those contests, he would even play more than 20 minutes.
Another Heat rookie looking for more playing time is Kel'el Ware, who was selected in the first round before Larsson. Both have been along on the journey together, even impressing during the Summer League as they built up immense chemistry.
Besides having a relationship on the court, Larsson would even talk about how they are “really good friends.”
“I mean, we're really good friends. Me and Kel’el, we've been through a lot together already, and like, we share so many experiences with this new rookie season and NBA and everything,” Larsson said. “So he's just a really good guy, and he wants to learn, get better. And, I mean, he's learning a lot from playing behind Bam [Adebayo], especially. But yeah, he's just a really good guy, good values, does his s*** right.”
Heat's Pelle Larsson puts the team first
He has been praised many times by Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra, even to the point where he called him an “elite role player” earlier in the season. There is no doubt that Larsson has already embraced the “Heat Culture,” as when asked about his individual goals for the rest of the season, he would focus more so on the team stacking up more wins.
“You know, we got to get back to winning,” Larsson said. “That is the biggest goal right now, we want to string a couple together, make us feel good because we've had some good games and lost a lot of close ones and won a few close ones. So that's probably how we're going to play a lot of teams, you know, tight games, just how the way we play and how the game goes. So come up with a few more of those, and, you know, I'll tell you more in two weeks what the goal is. But right now, that's the goal.”
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Heat's Erik Spoelstra on the competitive spirit of Pelle Larsson
Even though the playing time is not there yet, it seems to be more consistent as the season goes along, judging by how highly the rookie is talked about. When Spoelstra was asked about working out with Adebayo after practice, he wasn't the least bit surprised.
“He's another great worker, he's a competitor,” Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints. “So if anybody is playing one-on-one after practice, Pelle is gonna get involved in it. That's centers, it could be the guards, could be the wings. He just can't get enough of it, and then when he's done with that. Then he's gonna go in the weight room, and he's gonna get extra shooting in. You know, he's a guy, he’s young enough right now we don't have to monitor it, but at some point, you have to monitor his workloads, but it’s a good thing, though, I like it.”
At any rate, the Heat are coming off a win over the Philadelphia 76ers last Monday as they're 6-7, which puts them fifth in the Eastern Conference. Miami looks to win two straight against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
