Best of NBA News Part 2: Caitlin Clark's on-court ANTICS + Kawhi Leonard is a BETTER option than Ja Morant for Heat + NBA finally ENDING TANKING with the new 3-2-1 lottery system

**Shannon Sharpe** (0:04)
According to Ira Weiderman, the Miami Heat could pivot to Kawhi Leonard or Ja Morant if they lose in the Giannis weekstakes. Joe, would you rather have Giannis or would you rather have Kawhi or Ja in Miami?
Shit, I'm going Kawhi, man. Kawhi just coming off, I think, statistically, his best season.
And like we always talk about, bro, the Heat culture and how Pat Riley is, I think they'll have him right down there. He going to be able to practice all that, Joe? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He ain't going to have no damn choice. Well, he never leave Kawhi alone. What you saying? Ocho, Joe, it is hard. That man has not been on a regular practice schedule since 2018
He going to have to get on one when he come to Miami. I'm just saying, Joe, do you know, Joe, think about it, Joe. You got, think about it. You own your schedule. You've been on your own schedule since 2018
You was on your schedule in Toronto. You've been on your schedule at the Clippers. And to go, after you got in Kawhi, it's probably, what, 33, 34 years of age. Joe, I would believe you. If you say to man 26, 27, I say, okay. But Joe, I don't know, Joe. Man, they got some dogs over there. Great weather. You hear me? Great weather. Yes. Great environment. I can see him, you know, being ready, mentally prepared, you know, to come in and really do whatever he can to help their team get over the hump. I think Kawhi is a hell of a pickup, if you ask me.
He is, Joe. But-

**Chad Johnson** (1:55)
They're gonna have to meet-

**Shannon Sharpe** (1:55)
You're already gonna piss him. Joe, you know, Joe, you know the schedule. Uncle Dennis, Uncle Dennis was telling teams what it's gonna be. You know, you heard, you was in the league. I heard.
Uncle Dennis ain't- That's over with. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You come to Miami- I don't think he go there, Joe. Hey, Uncle Dennis gonna let- Map it out. Yeah. You know what it's gonna be?
All this under the table stuff that y'all got going down there in LA, that ain't happening out here in Miami, man. I'll just let you know. Yeah, they ain't going. They ain't going.

**Chad Johnson** (2:28)
Listen, if we wanna-
That Pat Riley understands, right, Uncle Joe? If we wanna be taken seriously as far as competing in the East, forget coming out the East. Just competing in the East in general, things are gonna have to change. And if things have to change, it has to start at top. We're gonna need Pat Riley to have a conversation with Mickey Erickson and tell Pat, you got to loosen up the reins a little bit. You got to evolve. The game has changed. You can't be trying to coach and do things with an iron fist the way it worked in the 80s and the 90s. It's not gonna work in today's era in the type of players that you're getting. In order for us to attract the kind of players we want to, to change the culture, which has been the winning culture before. But to get back to that winning culture and in those winning ways, we're going to have to get players to come here, like the Kawhi, like the Ja Morants or the Giannis. We don't want people second guessing themselves about coming to one of the greatest cities to actually play in and having people say no because of Pat Riley.

**Shannon Sharpe** (3:26)
Joe, let me ask you a question. You want Kawhi for 60-65 games or you want him for 30-45 games? Because you make him practice, you know what you're going to get. The knees can't take it.
We're going to do a thorough investigation on his body, make sure he's right. But we need his ass to, they're going to need his ass to practice. You know what I mean? He can make that 65 game threshold. He can do it. He can do it.
I think he already, look, look, even when you look at him, he already in elite shape. I mean, he's a guy who really takes care, he looked like he really takes care of his body, bro. So, yeah, but he got the knees over 55 His knees might be worse than mine. Well, they got a nice conditioning program over there to keep him strong throughout the season, make sure he good. Yeah, yeah. You can't go over that, bro, we're playing a damn 30, 35 games a season now.

**Chad Johnson** (4:20)
Come on.

**Shannon Sharpe** (4:20)
I think I'm just trying to be honest with you, Joe. I'm just trying to get you to the tip of your expectations.