Arizona basketball coach reveals how 2 former players can make the Heat dangerous

09/03/2024 06:41 PM

While fans of the Miami Heat are making their bold predictions for the upcoming season, one of the more interesting aspects has been their recent draft class and group 0f rookies. Besides the impressive first-round pick in Kel’el Ware, two standouts from the Heat’s Summer League has been undrafted free agent Keshad Johnson and second-round selection Pelle Larsson, both coming out of the University of Arizona as head coach Tommy Lloyd spoke about their skills translating to the NBA level.

Lloyd spoke to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald where he touched on his former players and how they can contribute to the Heat right from the jump. Speaking about both Larsson and Johnson, he said they are “willing to be great role players.”

"I think one of the things that makes them impressive prospects is they're both wired and willing to be great role players," Lloyd said. "You know, 100 percent of their focus is going to be contributing to the team's overall success. These aren't like shoot first, ask questions later type of guys.

"So they're going to give you a well-rounded effort on both ends of the floor,” Lloyd continued. “On offense, they're going to play their role and stay in their lane. Then defensively and in all the effort areas, they're going to max that stuff out."

Tommy Lloyd speaks on how Pelle Larsson can help the Heat

Looking at Larsson who the team took with their second-round pick, he is known for his immense shooting ability combined with his intensity on defense that make him the exact type of player that can fit within Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s system. Larsson impressed many times during the Summer League, including when he hit the game-winning shot for the Heat to win the championship as Lloyd calls him an “all-around player.”

"I think his calling card is going to be being an all-around player,” Lloyd said. “I think if he gets to the point where he's hunting those threes aggressively and the defense is tight or they close out too aggressive and he can put it on the floor and make a play for someone else, I think he can do that. If he puts it on the floor and the lane opens up, he's physical enough to get to the rim and finish with athleticism through contact.

“To me, I see him really having value of being a guy who's able to make the right play possession by possession,” Lloyd continued. “Whether that is hunting an open three or creating a driving lane because he's hunting a three and they close out too aggressively. But I'm not going to put limitations on Pelle. That's on him and his next coaches to figure out. If they want him shooting 10 threes a game, I think he's capable of that."

During the Summer League, Larsson averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three-point range.

How Keshad Johnson’s skills translates to the Heat 

As for Johnson who went undrafted, he has shown to be a do-it-all type player for Miami during the Summer League that many has said encompasses “Heat Culture.” Johnson has one of the Heat’s three two-way contracts where his athleticism was also a standout trait during the summer before he got hurt as Lloyd spoke at length about his best characteristics that translates to the NBA.

"First off, Keshad's character is off the charts,” Lloyd said. “This is a really good person and he's authentic and he's genuine. His teammates love him, his coaches love him. I know that's a cliche, but they really do. I think what's cool about Keshad is he's one of these guys who got an extra year in college. He put four good years in at San Diego State, he was probably a late bloomer, not a big-time high-level recruit, he gets there and his effort, energy, athleticism allow him to compete and find a role. That role grew over the course of his career, but the skill never kicked in. So getting that extra year in college for him and he transferred and found a place, he got an opportunity to kind of reinvent himself.”

Keshad Johnson is an “elite athlete” per Tommy Lloyd

In Johnson’s one year with the Arizona basketball program as he spent the previous four seasons with San Diego State, he averaged 11.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from deep. Lloyd would praise Johnson for being an “elite athlete” which could help Miami on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

"He gets all the credit,” Lloyd said. “We didn't know how well he was going to shoot the ball. We thought there was some promise there when we watched him work out and shot with him and stuff. But over the course of the season, we got really comfortable with him sliding out to those corners and shooting threes. I think that's a translatable skill for him. I think this is a guy who's going to be a good spot-up three-point shooter, but he's also an elite athlete. So he can impact the glass, he can impact transition, finishing around the rim and then defensively he has real value. I mean, this is a 6-7 guy who really has a chance to compete defensively with almost anybody on the court."

Both Larsson and Johnson look to further impress the team as training camp starts Oct. 1 in the lead up to the Heat’s season opener on Oct. 23 against the Orlando Magic.

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