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They arrived as two of a kind, played that way as rookies, and were at it again Tuesday night for the Miami Heat at summer league.
Having both joined the Heat a year ago after playing as teammates at Arizona, Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson again showed the aggressive promise they potentially can offer beyond meaningless games such as these.
In the Heat’s finale of the California Classic at Chase Center, Larsson and Johnson each went for points in a 93-79 victory over the Golden State Warriors’ summer roster.
Those efforts came with Heat summer-league coach Eric Glass giving 2024 first-round pick Kel’el Ware the night off, on night 2025 first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis again struggled with his shooting, closing 0 for 5 from the field, leaving late in the fourth quarter after rolling an ankle.
The prime positive takeaway Tuesday was the energy injected into the equation by Larsson and Johnson, as the Heat completed a weeklong stay in the Bay Area, closing the California Classic at 2-1.
“We were all just moving, moving the ball,” Johnson said.
Larsson, a second-round pick a year ago, and Johnson, who went undrafted a year ago, both are under contract for the coming season.
The Heat next move on to the larger Las Vegas NBA Summer League, which features rosters from all 30 teams.
The Heat will open defense Friday of their Vegas championship with a 4:30 p.m. Eastern game (ESPN2) against the Atlanta Hawks’ summer roster.
That will be the first of at least five games for the Heat on the UNLV campus, as they close out their summer schedule.
Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:
1. For starters: Ware was given the game off after a pair of uneven starts in the first two of three games at Chase Center, replaced in the starting lineup Tuesday by former FAU center Vlad Goldin, who went undrafted out of Michigan. Goldin was given Sunday’s game off.
In addition to Goldin being back, also back after a game off and in the starting lineup were Larsson, Johnson and Kira Lewis, the 2020 first-round pick of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Lewis closed with 16 points and four assists.
Jakucionis was in the Heat starting lineup for the third time, the lone starter in all three California Classic games for the Heat.
2. Goldin touch: The extended look at Goldin could be part of the Heat evaluating their limited regular-season depth at center beyond Ware and Bam Adebayo, now that Kevin Love was dealt Monday in the trade that delivered Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden closed with 10 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes, shooting 4 of 5.
Should Goldin not be deemed sufficient roster depth in the middle on his two-way contract, the remaining options for the Heat on the free-agent market are somewhat limited.
Among remaining free-agent centers at the moment are former Heat big men Thomas Bryant, Orlando Robinson and Cody Zeller.
An option was lost Tuesday night when former Heat center Kelly Olynyk was dealt from the Washington Wizards to the San Antonio Spurs.
3. Attack mode: Larsson continued to play in attack mode, up to 12 points by the intermission.
He closed 5 of 10 from the field, with five rebounds and four assists.
The summer format sets up particularly well for Larsson, with players allowed up to 10 fouls in the 40-minute games that are eight minutes shorter than standard games. Larsson had three fouls in the first quarter, which would have put him halfway to disqualification during the regular season.
4. Highlight moments: Johnson offered one of his trademark flying transition dunks in the third period off a steal and feed from Lewis.
While Johnson has yet to consistently show the 3-point touch to make him a 3-and-D power forward in the mold of P.J. Tucker, he did convert a pair Tuesday night and his athleticism continues to stand out on a Heat roster somewhat lacking in that regard.
Johnson, who had his 2025-26 contract fully guaranteed a week ago, closed 6 of 9 from the field, with four rebounds.
While play was closed to the public on Tuesday’s final day of the California Classic, Johnson was able to have his Oakland-based family on hand.
“My family came out,” he said with a smile, requesting the ESPN camera pan to his family. “They always come out. I love my family to death.”
5. Still searching: After shooting 1 of 7 in his Heat debut in Saturday’s opening victory of the California Classic against the Spurs and then 0 for 3 in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer roster, Jakucionis this time stood 0 for 4 in the first half, including 0 for 3 on 3-pointers.
On the flip side, at least on summer-league level, Jakucionis has shown better defensive chops than forecast, although he did close with eight fouls.
Continue reading...
Having both joined the Heat a year ago after playing as teammates at Arizona, Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson again showed the aggressive promise they potentially can offer beyond meaningless games such as these.
In the Heat’s finale of the California Classic at Chase Center, Larsson and Johnson each went for points in a 93-79 victory over the Golden State Warriors’ summer roster.
Those efforts came with Heat summer-league coach Eric Glass giving 2024 first-round pick Kel’el Ware the night off, on night 2025 first-round pick Kasparas Jakucionis again struggled with his shooting, closing 0 for 5 from the field, leaving late in the fourth quarter after rolling an ankle.
The prime positive takeaway Tuesday was the energy injected into the equation by Larsson and Johnson, as the Heat completed a weeklong stay in the Bay Area, closing the California Classic at 2-1.
“We were all just moving, moving the ball,” Johnson said.
Larsson, a second-round pick a year ago, and Johnson, who went undrafted a year ago, both are under contract for the coming season.
The Heat next move on to the larger Las Vegas NBA Summer League, which features rosters from all 30 teams.
The Heat will open defense Friday of their Vegas championship with a 4:30 p.m. Eastern game (ESPN2) against the Atlanta Hawks’ summer roster.
That will be the first of at least five games for the Heat on the UNLV campus, as they close out their summer schedule.
Five Degrees of Heat from Tuesday night’s game:
1. For starters: Ware was given the game off after a pair of uneven starts in the first two of three games at Chase Center, replaced in the starting lineup Tuesday by former FAU center Vlad Goldin, who went undrafted out of Michigan. Goldin was given Sunday’s game off.
In addition to Goldin being back, also back after a game off and in the starting lineup were Larsson, Johnson and Kira Lewis, the 2020 first-round pick of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Lewis closed with 16 points and four assists.
Jakucionis was in the Heat starting lineup for the third time, the lone starter in all three California Classic games for the Heat.
2. Goldin touch: The extended look at Goldin could be part of the Heat evaluating their limited regular-season depth at center beyond Ware and Bam Adebayo, now that Kevin Love was dealt Monday in the trade that delivered Norman Powell from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Golden closed with 10 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes, shooting 4 of 5.
Should Goldin not be deemed sufficient roster depth in the middle on his two-way contract, the remaining options for the Heat on the free-agent market are somewhat limited.
Among remaining free-agent centers at the moment are former Heat big men Thomas Bryant, Orlando Robinson and Cody Zeller.
An option was lost Tuesday night when former Heat center Kelly Olynyk was dealt from the Washington Wizards to the San Antonio Spurs.
3. Attack mode: Larsson continued to play in attack mode, up to 12 points by the intermission.
He closed 5 of 10 from the field, with five rebounds and four assists.
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The summer format sets up particularly well for Larsson, with players allowed up to 10 fouls in the 40-minute games that are eight minutes shorter than standard games. Larsson had three fouls in the first quarter, which would have put him halfway to disqualification during the regular season.
4. Highlight moments: Johnson offered one of his trademark flying transition dunks in the third period off a steal and feed from Lewis.
While Johnson has yet to consistently show the 3-point touch to make him a 3-and-D power forward in the mold of P.J. Tucker, he did convert a pair Tuesday night and his athleticism continues to stand out on a Heat roster somewhat lacking in that regard.
Johnson, who had his 2025-26 contract fully guaranteed a week ago, closed 6 of 9 from the field, with four rebounds.
While play was closed to the public on Tuesday’s final day of the California Classic, Johnson was able to have his Oakland-based family on hand.
“My family came out,” he said with a smile, requesting the ESPN camera pan to his family. “They always come out. I love my family to death.”
5. Still searching: After shooting 1 of 7 in his Heat debut in Saturday’s opening victory of the California Classic against the Spurs and then 0 for 3 in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer roster, Jakucionis this time stood 0 for 4 in the first half, including 0 for 3 on 3-pointers.
On the flip side, at least on summer-league level, Jakucionis has shown better defensive chops than forecast, although he did close with eight fouls.
Continue reading...
