The Miami Heat are only three games into the season, and Erik Spoelstra is already staring at a starting five that has been badly out of sorts.
After the 0-3 start, one possible answer is hard to ignore: a switch from Klay Thompson to Pelle Larsson. It wouldn’t be the kind of move that instantly fixes everything, and it would come with real risk, but it may be the one realistic adjustment Spoelstra can make that could actually shake things up.
The Heat’s current starting group of Davion Mitchell, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Bam Adebayo, and Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a disaster through the opening stretch. In 31 minutes together, that lineup has posted a -47.1 net rating and a defensive rating of 150. Small sample or not, those numbers tell the story: the group has been historically bad.
Spoelstra does not have a ton of obvious alternatives. There is no backup point guard ready to slide in for Mitchell, and Bam and Giannis are not going anywhere. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been struggling just as much as Klay or Wiggins, so the usual fixes are not offering much help.
That leaves Larsson as the most realistic shakeup.
He would not give the Heat the same outside shooting threat Klay can provide, and the fit may not be perfect from a schematic standpoint. But this is the kind of move that comes from desperation, and that may be exactly why it deserves consideration.
After Miami’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Spoelstra said the team needed to find their "inspiration" to play with the fire they showed in that fourth-quarter comeback on a consistent basis. Larsson could fit into that idea. He was part of the lineup that sparked that rally, and he brings qualities the current starting group may be missing.
He may not supply the same offensive punch or floor spacing as Klay, but he could offer more defense and more playmaking at this point. For a team looking for any kind of jolt, that matters.
It would be a fast and pretty stark move from Spoelstra, especially this early in the season. But with the starting five sputtering and time already ticking, the Heat may not have many other cards to play.
Most expected Larsson to earn a starting role eventually. Few thought it would come this soon.
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