Who Should Start for the Miami Heat in the Backcourt

Miami Heat basketball is on the horizon and the starting five will feature 3 familiar faces, guaranteed. Davion Mitchell, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo are returners for sure penciled into the starting five. Blockbuster trade acquisition Giannis Antetokounmpo is obviously slotted into that 4th spot, leaving one "position" left, the shooting guard position.

The Miami Heat currently have two highly capable options on the roster in Pelle Larsson and Tim Hardaway Jr. Both of whom play the positions in different ways. Larsson is more of your Championship style role player, while Hardaway poses as a necessary scoring threat.

Both are fine players, but the question is who do you give the nod to?

I know, everyone wants to sleep on Pelle Larsson

But his per 36 is very impressive

PPG- 15.6
RPG- 4.8
APG- 4.6
1 stl, 2 to

49% FG, 32% 3PT, 80% FT

And he’s only going to get better + he plays defense

STOP SLEEPING ON PELLE LARSSON pic.twitter.com/WycJZZHIU4
— BeyondTheHeat (@BeyondTheHeat) August 13, 2026

While it would be easy to slot Hardaway into the starting lineup for the added scoring punch, Larsson is a completely capable player, who is likely going to help close games for the Miami Heat, an underrated passer, strong finisher, and a breakout candidate from beyond the arc. Larsson does whatever is asked of his and his energy is infectious; his archetype is one you want on every Championship team.

This is why I would start Larsson. His ability to slide into just about any role and make the most of it are crucial to the Miami Heat's success, and sharing the floor with Giannis will only help him improve.

Larsson is expected to take yet another leap, and his basketball IQ, paired with his grit and tenacit, make him the perfect fit in the starting lineup. Sliding Hardaway Jr. to the bench enables the Heat to be more creative with their rotations and gives the traditional bench unit some much needed scoring.

1. Major Passons

"When evaluating who should start next to Mitchell you first have to look at the roster. Currently there are two options, Pelle Larsson and Tim Hardaway Jr. Out of those two options I would pick Larsson. Though there is an argument that Hardaway Jr. is the better fit due to his shooting, I think everything else favors Larsson. His ability to morph his game to the matchup every night is what takes the cake. He is a perfect team player and helps provide grit to the starting lineup. Now if they add Klay Thompson, there might be a chance to reevaluate this question."

2. Ethan J. Skolnick

Tim Hardaway Jr. — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This isn't about who is the best player -- it's about who is the best fit for the current lineup construction. And it's also about preserving a player for the playoffs. The best all-around two-guard option this season is likely to be Pelle Larsson, whom the Heat prioritized keeping out of any trade, and who made such drastic improvement last season that the same level jump is expected into his third season. And Larsson will absolutely close the majority of games; Erik Spoelstra will trust him as a defender. But that doesn't mean he should start. The Heat need as much spacing as possible to open games, and Tim Hardaway Jr. was elite as a catch-and-shoot player last season for Denver. He's also a youngish 34; he can handle some extra minutes. That's relevant because if 37-year-old Klay Thompson joins the team at some point, as expected, he should be nurtured (no more than 20 minutes per night) to make sure he's primed for the postseason. That's where he might slide into the lineup. But the start at the start? Go with Tim Jr.

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