Exclusive: Pelle Larrson ready to prove value in Heat's nightly rotations amid injury return
Yesterday at 07:24 PM
MIAMI – One of the many positive aspects of the Miami Heat season has been rookie Pelle Larsson, though his December has been a forgettable time due to an ankle injury suffered frustratingly. As the Heat deal with trade speculation involving Jimmy Butler, Larsson seems to be part of the team’s future as he spoke with ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview about recovering from his issue.
Thursday’s practice marked his first full session since sporting a right ankle sprain, hoping to play Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder as he’s “questionable” for the contest, according to the team’s X, formerly Twitter, account. Larsson would say to ClutchPoints that he has had a “great recovery plan.”
“Today was first full practice, but we’ve been kind of easing into it leading up to this,” Larsson said. “But no, I had a great recovery plan…and been working with doctors every day, checking in, making sure that everything looks good every day. So it’s been pretty, pretty smooth.”
Heat’s Pelle Larsson on the timing of his ankle injury
The second-round selection had been receiving consistent minutes in Erik Spoelstra’s rotation, but that has been put to a halt as the last game he played was when the Heat beat the Los Angeles Lakers in a 41-point rout. Before, it wasn’t rare to see the Swedish-born player record around 20 minutes of action and one of the first off the bench, even recording 37 points in the overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 24.
“I mean, always, when you injure yourself, it’s like, ‘Oh, why now?’ you know, but there’s never a good time, really,” Larsson said on the timing of playing consistently and then getting the injury. “So it’s just, you know, sticking with it. It’s shit that happens in basketball, especially like right ankles. You land on someone, you get unlucky, so it’s no one’s fault, you can’t be angry at anyone. You just gotta suck it up and do the best you can to get back healthy.”
To start the season, fans were clamoring for the playing time of not just Larsson but Heat first-round rookie Kel’el Ware. So far, Larsson seemed to find a consistent role as Ware still searches for one.
Heat’s Pelle Larsson on being excited to play again
As he would say, he would land on a teammate’s foot during a practice session, which made him miss the next four games after the aforementioned Lakers win. The recovery for Larsson looks to be approaching its end, as recording a full practice session is a good sign, but the question remains if his minutes will go back immediately or if he will have to earn them once again.
When asked this, Larsson took more of an approach that whatever the case, he is “more excited to just play again.”
“I think, not really that, it’s just more exciting to just play again,” Larsson said. “Like you’ve been watching games on TV. I’ve been laying in the locker room getting treatment during the games, like, it’s just an excitement to do it for the sport, like the love of the sport. And just what I enjoy, not really proving it to anyone, just like this, why I enjoy doing.”
Larsson would not have a straight answer on whether he knows his status for Friday but would express his eagerness and say he’s “ready to play.”
“I’m gonna go talk to them [coaching staff and doctors] right now, actually, tell them I’m ready to play,” Larsson said. “I’m just eager to get out there, of course. But we’ll see what plan they have and what Spo [Spoelstra] is thinking.”
So far this season, the Heat Summer League standout in Larsson has averaged six points, two rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from deep. Miami is currently 13-11, which puts them sixth in the Eastern Conference as they look to get back in the win column against the Thunder on Friday night.
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