MIAMI – With the Miami Heat breaking out of their slump after Wednesday's 129-117 win over the Atlanta Hawks, the team still has work to do to reach their full potential. Still with the Heat's brutal start, there are aspects of the team that have been uncharacteristic, such as the start to Klay Thompson's tenure with the team.

After five games, Thompson has averaged 7.8 points per game on shooting 31.7 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three-point range, making 12 of his 37 attempts from beyond the arc. Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra wasn't concerned about Thompson's shooting struggles in the preseason, shooting three of 20 from deep, and when asked before Friday night's game against the Indiana Pacers about the veteran's start to the regular season, he was still confident that it “will get better as the season goes on.”

“He's had a long off season. Really, the last two offseasons where he hasn't played deep into the playoffs like he's used to playing, so this will take a little bit of time,” Spoelstra said. “He's getting acclimated to a new system and getting his legs under him. And I think once he really hits his stride, I think that's going to just have like an exponential effect on our offense. He's already gotten some great looks….But I'm confident that he'll get there, and even with the percentage that he's shooting, he still provides us that gravity.”

Erik Spoelstra on what he’s seen from Klay Thompson through five games: #Heat

“I think this will get better as the season goes on, and he he's had a long offseason. Really, the last two off seasons where he hasn't played deep into the playoffs like he's used to playing, so this… pic.twitter.com/3sI8jhxgSi

— Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) October 30, 2026

The four-time champion with the Golden State Warriors has been a career 40 percent three-point shooter, and as he looks to get back to those numbers, he has been a mainstay in Miami's starting lineup going into Friday's NBA Cup group play game.

The Heat player some argue could replace Klay Thompson as a starter

While Thompson looks to get better in his first season with the Heat, he's not alone as Miami is looking to make all the new and returning pieces fit together. Aside from the key players in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo working well with one another, a player that is looking to excel in his third season in Miami is Pelle Larsson.

Acting as a key player off the bench, there have been some who could argue that Larsson could slot in for Thompson in the starting lineup if the struggles continue. While that remains to be seen, Wednesday night against the Hawks showed why he could be critical in the second unit.

As the Heat ran a noticeably more pick-and-roll to unlock Adebayo out of a slump, the two guards that were pivotal to making it work were starter Davion Mitchell (10 assists) and Larsson, who recorded 17 points with eight assists and six rebounds. Spoelstra trusted Larsson to run the offense in important spots, showing the amount of trust he has in the 25-year-old, as he improved from having a key role for Sweden overseas.

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“This is not something that's happened overnight with Pelle,” Spoelstra said to ClutchPoints. “So he's been earning these opportunities, and he's gained a lot of confidence of having the ball in his hands and making plays, whether it's been within the flow or in transition or just the random drives. But then the last two years with his national team, his usage was through the roof, and I think those on-ball reps really helped his reads.”

At any rate, it remains to be seen how Thompson and Larsson progress throughout the season, as many will continue to speculate if their current spots in the lineup should be swapped.