Miami Heat Rookie Keshad Johnson Joins the Show

Miami Heat Rookie Keshad Johnson Joins the Show

direct from Las Vegas we’re joined by Kesha Johnson about his Oakland Roots the importance of family and the intensity that has already made him a f favorite among Heat fans all that more on today’s episode of Locked on [Music] heat you are locked on heat your daily Miami Heat podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day all all right welcome to locked on heat your everyday podcast on the Miami Heat whether you’re tuning in on YouTube Odyssey or your favorite podcast app thanks for making lock on heat your first listen every day Monday to Friday I’m West Goldberg editor at allou can heat.com here with David raill both of us are credential heat media members and today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more this summer FanDuel is hooking up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everyone every day all summer long visit fanduel.com to get started we’ be joined today by Kesha Johnson who signed a two-way contract with the heat after going undrafted and has been really impressive in summer league we talked to him about why Miami was his Top Choice growing up in Oakland and what fans can expect from him this season after that David and I will discuss what the heat should do with their two-way contracts and whether Isaiah Stevens and Josh Christopher have done enough to take one of those spots but we’re going to start with Kesha Johnson let’s jump in excited to be joined by Kesha Johnson who’s becoming a popular player among Heat fans with his performance at summer league first thanks so much for joining us there’s a bunch of stuff that I want to get to with you here but I’m going to start off with a softball I was going through your Instagram feed it looks like you have a different pair of Jordans on in every single picture so I just want to ask how many pairs of Jordans do you currently own do you have a favorite um I got I would say I got about 20 these 20 about 20 pair Jordans um do I have a favorite pair I don’t have a favorite pair it all depends on the aesthetic of the day you know whether I want to go low socks or high socks shorts or or sweats you know it’s it’s a lot that go into it you can’t pick a favorite it’s like picking a favorite kid you just can’t do it it’s exactly exactly um well like I said there’s a bunch of stuff I want to get to I want to get to Summer League I want to get to your thoughts about the heat uh now that you’ve been a part of the team but let’s just start with your pre-draft process your pre-draft workout in Miami can you tell us a little bit more about that who was there what did they make you do did you think that you performed well enough for them to even Target you um who was there in in uh in my group uh I me and Isaiah Stevens we was both uh both present in within that workout uh Pat Riley and Eric sper was there along with rest of the staff and everything um but when in terms of performance I think I did my job J I’ll say I did my job I didn’t make every shot but I did my job I came in as if it was a job interview interview which which it is each and every day you go out there and put and put a jersey on and roll a ball out um I show my energy I show my personality and everything like that you know and and that’s that’s real authentic you know it’s not just me going in there knowing that I have to do this I really take pride and just um showing who I am as a person each and each and every day along as as a basketball player and I feel like Pat Riley and Eric Foster like they’ve been doing their job for a long time now so they know they know what’s real and what’s not and I think that’s that’s what end up letting me be able to uh get the chance to put a Miami Heat jersey on again you talked about doing your job is it just bringing energy and bringing intensity every time you step onto the floor because that seems like a big part of what defines you and it has defined you so far in your summer league right oh of course um bringing energy intensity whatever it takes doing my job um all the miscellaneous things you know making sacrifices out there on the court um holding people accountable you know whatever it takes to uh that’s that’s that’s what I like to say it’s not just one thing that that determines who I am as a leader or as a player in general yeah is on on draft day you talked about your best quality being your toughness and you said that you know just the toughness that you bring out into the floor was what you thought was your best quality how do you kind of bring that toughness that intensity that you were just talking about and at the still at the same time still try to develop those skills that you need to be able to produce at a high level at an NBA level um I don’t know I don’t even know how I do it honestly um I got I’m big on my faith so um I pray a lot you know just asking God to give me the right answers to the task you know whatever it takes you know just just help me help me make the right decision and do the right thing you know give me the strength and courage to get out there dive on that ball you know get the 5050 balls and everything be able to really bump and box out you know even when I’m guarding bigger guys and everything have go go into it with a David versus Goliath mentality every every step of the way nice I got I’m watching you in summer league and it’s just like you are holding the turbo button the entire game all the time have you always played like that and and where does that come from um I always play like that um where it come from I don’t know it’s in my blood you know it came from my parents my parents are superheroes you know um I came from being born and raised in the city of Oak California and everything like that you know um so real kudos to just the life I had growing up you know as that determines my mentality U me not taking nothing for granted and me trying to give give him my all each and every step of way were your parents athletes um yeah my my mom played a little bit in high school my dad played in junior college and everything um I got a lot of a lot of people a lot of cousins and stuff like that that’s just natural born athletes too who gave you the nickname Showtime was that a you thing or did that come from somebody else school it yeah it came it came in high school you know um me and a group of my friends you know um we was just giving each other uh nicknames and everything it was a part of the Brotherhood uh and everything so at the age of 14 of freshman year we was just giving each other nicknames and Showtime stuck you know Showtime stuck just with me being um athletic um my outgoing personality and everything like that so it just had a great Ring to it and I feel like that defined me you know that it stuck that’s me yep you talked about your family a little bit what was it like having them in the stands when you made your summer league debut a couple weeks ago I mean it was supposed to be a closed out game with no fans or or nothing like that I guess that mean exception of my family um they found a way they found a way uh it really feel like a home game you know they helped us out there we end up getting all the energy from the uh from from the crowd my family uh and we had on the opposing Jersey so uh nice yeah I just love my family my family they G they gonna find a way uh that’s one thing about the Johnson family they coming out you talked about the Oakland area Roots there do you have a favorite Oakland player that uh might be somebody who defines your game or somebody you looked up to I know Monte Alis was the guy that you always looked up to and I heard that LeBron might be your favorite player of all time is that still correct so yeah LeBron my favorite player of all time um the person that made me love basketball is Monte Ellis um another one of my favorite players is Stephen Curry just by the impact that he had in the Bay Area growing up and everything um one player I try to model my game as just like Oakland player is um Andre gadala you know uh him being also a wild cat and everything like that you know him going out there just the impact he got on on a basketball on game when he go out there on the hardwood just making plays happen making things happen Andre Heath’s he’s a jack of all trades for real um so that that’s just person that I always okay he’s athletic he got nice defense and he just do spectacular stuff so yeah Andre is somebody that I used to look up grow look up to growing up for Miami he player Andre withal too um so you were number zero at San Diego State was that because of Oakland was that the O for Oakland yes sir o for Oakland and then you wore 16 at Arizona that was your brother’s jersey number correct correct correct see um my brother was in high school his uh his high school name was the West Oakland heat West Oakland heat so um uh it’s it’s all it’s all coming around the full circle so he wore number 16 for the Heat and I’m G be wearing number 16 for the heat today’s episode is brought to you by eBay Motors passion drive and patience the formula for winning championships is also what keeps your car alive eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to Peak Performance superchargers roof racks exhaust kits or LED headlights and so much more whether you’re into speed power or style eBay Motors has you covered and with over 122 million parts for your number one ride or die you’ll always find exactly what you’re looking for and with eBay guaranteed fit your part is guaranteed to fit your ride every time or your money back because with eBay Motors you’re burning rubber and not cash with all the parts you need at the prices you want it’s easy to make your car the MVP and bring home huge wins keep your ride or die alive at ebaymotors.com eligible items only exclusions apply and eBay guaranteed fit only available to you as customers we’ll be right back just to switch gears here for a second I mean I was reading some of the stories that were written about you before the draft and you and your brother have an incredible story if if you wouldn’t mind sharing that for our our listeners who might have not heard that I mean it’s it’s pretty remarkable what you guys have gone through see I have I have four brothers one sister I’m the youngest of them all but the um brother that’s closest to me age at the age of 14 when I was 10 years old one Sunday morning November 11th um uh no November 6 2011 he was a victim of gun violence you know he was shot 10 times um it was 35 s cases on the ground so um by the grace of God he’s still out here on this Earth walking and everything um after when the event first happened the doctor said he’ never be able to walk again but now he’s being able to walk with the help of crutches you know the doctor don’t always have the last say so I feel like God had the last say so in every which way so um he still he’s still playing basketball he played wheelchair basketball for the Golden State Road Warriors and everything so uh last year when um two years ago when I was in the uh March Madness Championship he had just won the mar the uh wheelchair um Association ball Championship the day before you know so one of us came home with a Championship uh he he’s the winner in that sense um but yeah we both still we both still pushing you know I’m living out his dream of being able to run and jump and out there with the basketball and he’s still living living his dream of just playing the game of basketball you know um at the end of the day we both each other inspiration and motivation that’s amazing I mean how that much what did he say to you when you got signed by the heat how how’s he been in your ear sort of during summer league now yeah I mean he just he’s just my support system you know he told me he love me and everything and and I told him that I’m I’m living this journey for both of us like you you you living this journey with me you know that that name Johnson 16 on the back let alone it was West Oakland he at the time now it’s Miami Heat so um just that heat Johnson 16 that’s that’s representing both of us you know it’s amazing it’s tremendous incredible story really inspirational and thank you thank you for sharing it I know you’ve talked about it before but it’s great for our our fans and listeners are here you know you talked a lot about heat culture you talked about wanting to be a heat culture guy for somebody who grew up in Oakland played collegiately in Arizona and San Diego what are your thoughts about what heat culture is because obviously a lot of Heat fans know about having follow the team for a long time but maybe for somebody on the outside like you what do you think is heat culture in your opinion um heat culture is pretty much earning earning earning everything you you got um and giving nothing so um just lock in and get the job going going to work each and every day you know um be contagious you know help others out be selfless um along with making making making it happen yourself finding a way yeah when you talk oh sorry go ahead David no I was just gonna say when you talked about uh signing with Miami did you have other teams that you might have been interested in joining and why exactly did you choose Miami because it couldn’t have just been the weather I know the weather’s nice and all but it wasn’t just the weather no I was no other team honestly it was it was just Miami Heat um I knew me and my agent we we knew the best place you know we knew the best place um of course just me being the the guy I am I feel like I would have been able to fit in wherever I was at and wherever I was at I’m always give my all no matter what situation I’m in but Miami Heat is is for me for sure it was no it wasn’t no other team that I was really looking forward to what have you been able to take away from being around a guy like haime who similar to you is you know 100% all the time running up and down the floor wants to play in transition wants to play Fast what was it been like being around him for those couple of games and I know yonis Haslam has been around Duncan Robinson has been around what have you been able to talk to all those guys about so um me and Haim we actually knew each other for um a decent while now we played on the same aou team for um a couple of sessions um I believe uh seven my 17 newu year you know we played with the truth ebl under Paul Pierce and his um um program and everything so me and Hae we got familiar with each other a little bit then we play like briefly with each other then and throughout College you know I matched up with him a lot you know so I know how greedy of a person he is and everything um and now I would say he’s my vet you know um he’s my vet and I’m open to learn anything anything from anybody you know he’s been in the league he he’s had his success in the league um for the past year and everything like that so anytime he has any any like advice or anything I’m I’m more than open to hearing from so you know um you could you could probably you’ll probably hear like a little miked up segment from him you know just him him being a leader and everything just by experience and and I’m I’m here for it all what are you looking forward to at the NBA level vers whether it’s getting your own miced up game or is there a specific matchup a specific player that you’re looking forward to defending or anything that comes to mind like you know I know you’re in the thick of Summer League now but when the NBA season is here what’s that thing you keep kind of thinking about um I’m really just thinking about being out there on that floor and just seeing the smiles on kids faces and everything like that like say when I go back to my hometown Oakland again play against the Warriors or something like that and I and I just see like little familiar kids like that just was just like me growing up and everything just being able to motivate people um by showing that I’m actually in the NBA and I’m here to stay and like I came from being undrafted I came from a small high school I came from being overlooked in in the politics in in um High School a basketball I wasn’t really ranked high or nothing like that so I’m just looking forward to really showing people the the product of success of where I came from you know I’m I’m just a product of my environment so just looking forward to Mo being a motivating inspiration you know you played with uh uh you know you had your connection to Hime that you mentioned but you also played with pel Larson obviously in Arizona so does that make things a little bit more comfortable that you’ve got a kind of familiarity with a couple of the guys that you share the summer league roster with um yeah yeah for sure I I feel like I’m comfortable no matter where I’m at though um but just knowing that I got somebody that has proven that they run through a W for me I just know I’m going be able to do the same so you know that’s always a comfort to have in the back of your mind you know you see Pella out there making a lot of plays taking charges out there and he’s very fiery you know um he’s he’s not’s he’s just not your your typical guy typical guy that’s just um can playmake and everything he can get out there and get grimy and and and make Defenders um I mean and make the offensive player um a little a little shaky and everything you know he could he could get he could get into the ball and and to be very disruptive and everything as we’re seeing in P Larson yeah we’ve got like a little bit of this like Pack 12 Takeover in in Miami right now between you guys from Arizona you got haime from UCLA like I don’t know what’s going on you know uh played at Oregon for that one year too yeah we got a lot of lot of lot of Pack 12 going on but also don’t forget about about the mount West you know I spent four years in the mount West and Isaiah Stevens you know him being a leader at Colorado State I played against him a lot you know just by the way he made the game easy for for whoever’s around him and me being on the other end of it me being uh being able to receive the reward from from him just being my point guard you know don’t overlook the mount West either so we we was greedy in the mount West too so shout out to Isaiah Stevens and uh the M West the West coming out east all right last thing for you kead we really appreciate the time like you you already me mention Pella being an old team or spill some tea for us here what’s something that we don’t know that the fans don’t know about Pella yet maybe something that he doesn’t even want us to know but give us something give us something here um I would say Pella is Pella Pella is a character like he don’t I feel like he haven’t really got a chance to show us the type of character he do so I don’t know when this um when this segment is going to error or whatever case may be but um I’mma try to get in his ear at Arizona he do this thing like he’ll take a charge and after his charge he do like this like I got you kind of like so um I’m G try to get in this ear and tell him to bring that out one day and everything so we gonna see the how more of a charismatic character that Pella is you know I love it I love it uh Kad it was a pleasure thanks so much for joining us good luck the rest of the summer league and we’ll talk to you when you’re back in Miami huh yes sir appreciate it today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel look we all love sports we love them so much we never want them to stop but the playoffs have wound down we get fewer games now and the sports just aren’t sportsing like you want them to but FanDuel lets you keep the sports going whenever you want because all you have to do is open the app and you can dream up beds anytime you’re in the mood whether it’s Major League Baseball WNBA you name it you’ll find it over at FanDuel and this summer FanDuel is hooking us all up all customers with a boost or a bonus daily that’s right there’s something for everyone every day all summer long so head over to fanduel.com and start making the most out of your summer FanDuel the official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball we’ll be right back thanks for making lock on heat your first listen every day make sure you’re subscribed on YouTube let us know in the comments section what you thought of kead Johnson’s interview what stood out to you about his story we were so so delighted to be joined by him he was very charismatic very high energy yeah just the way like he plays he talks the same way he plays just bringing it always bringing it I I love that like the intensity like the idea that that’s just what he always that how he sees himself how he defines himself is by bringing that energy on a night toight basis and it just seems like he is such a good fit for this culture we talked about it even before the draft but even immediately like once he started playing and making impact you see oh okay this is a guy who fits right in and it just seems like a guy that you could kind of develop and kind of you know help him reach that next level that’s something that the heat coaching staff really takes pride in is being able to get those diamonds and the rough and be able to sharpen them into a a you know a Next Level NBA player so you know best of luck to him hopefully it works out but he’s got a lot of business ahead of him though he does I mean three he projects as sort of a three and D type of forward if he’s able to replace Caleb Martin all these things I think all of that is pretty premature we’re still talking about an undrafted rookie who’s played only in a handful of Summer League games so far yeah the shot still needs to come around if if he’s going to be in the NBA for a long time he’s got to shoot 35 36 37% from three-point range the Heat have done wonders with broken jump shots and I would not consider kead Johnson’s jump shot broken but it’s not where it needs to be yet uh and he’s been very open about that and I think the heat coaching staff has been very open about that but you know what the one thing that the Heat continue to develop and put money into and time into and invest into is guys like Kea Johnson who are willing to do the work willing to be humble and are bringing that kind of energy and and all of those kinds of things and embrace the heat culture and stuff so we don’t know if it’s going to work out nobody does but I think it’s a pretty good bet based on what we’ve seen so far and what we know about Kean Johnson and again it was a great interview and and we’re fans of his over here uh so uh let’s get into what it is that the heat can do with these two-way contract spots so Kad has locked up one of those two-way spots that’s I have to say that’s going to leave I don’t think it’s a guarantee right I mean it we’d like we’d like to believe it is and it seems pretty likely I’d say his chances are good but they could about they could do in a about face like we talked about this possibility in yesterday’s episode but you know you’ve got Cole schwier and Alis Williams who aren’t currently on two-way contracts but if you feel like they’re further along or have already bought into the quote unquote heat system further than what kead is you might consider bringing them back and that kind of leaves Kad fighting for one of the last three spots available I’m just saying it’s a possibility however remote it might be it’s something to think about sure it’s fair and you know you never know how the rest of the summer league is going to go and all these things and whatever but I would say I feel pretty good 99% chance he’s he’s got one of those two-way spots at this point that’s WR that’s WR I just the heat like him you know they targeted him for a reason um so let’s let’s put we could debate that or not but that I think keyot is we could call him the front runner right now for a two-way spot I think that’s fair and that’s going to leave two more spots for the heat to decide on currently they have Zion Pullen who was the undrafted guard out of Florida who they also signed as an undrafted free agent to a two-way contract just like they did with kead Johnson they also brought back Drew Smith into one of those spots but they were able to change these two-way spots out at any time without impacting the cap so these just swap them anytime you want whenever you want uh Drew Smith has not played in summer league because he’s still rehabbing from that knee injury from last year it’s really serious and we haven’t seen him pulling you could argue has been outplayed by Isaiah Stevens another point guard on Miami summer league roster so you got all that happening meanwhile over here you got Josh Christopher who just scored 20 points in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s blowout summer league win for the heat over the Thunder and it looks like he’s making a run for one of these spots also so how do you think the heat should handle this because I’m looking at my list I’ve got we already mentioned the names but there’s three two-way contract spots y I’ve got six guys who can make a reasonable claim you know what seven guys who can make a reasonable claim to those three spots Kea Johnson i’ like to hear that L yeah okay Kesha Johnson Isaiah Stevens Josh Christopher Zion Pullen Drew Smith Cole swier and Alis Williams and I can already hear it he fans will be like why are you putting Drew Smith on that list he has no business being on that list all I know is it the heat keep bringing this dude back so I am not taking him off of any short list long list or whatever that guy is very much in the conversation because he has been for like three years now so that’s my list seven guys for three two-way spots yeah I had the F first six mine is true and I think the Drew signing and I’m not like this is just a theory on my part I think it’s mostly Financial I think he gets to recoup a little bit of the money for being under this contract since the point he signed it from when he’s likely released from that contract I just can’t see the team you think they’re just doing him a solid I think so they’ve done it before they’ve done it before specifically like I there there might be some truth to that I also think this is their way of keeping them in house they didn’t know what all these guys were going to be doing they when they started signing these guys to two ways they said okay let’s bring Drew Smith in uh we can make sure go The Falls route yeah and uh while we’re all these other things too right like joshh Christopher didn’t have any options for a regular contract spot he might after summer league but at the time he didn’t so uh and you know you could say that about a couple different guys here so I think it was I don’t think that there’s that much to read into it in other words no yeah I just I think you know they can keep him they can keep them as part of the system without having them be under a two-way contract I think the two ways are too important given where they are at in terms of their roster construction the fact that they’re going to go through injuries like we saw guys play on two-ways last year and that was with more depth on this roster I think you know before as players started going in and out of the lineup and due to injury then all of a sudden you’re you’re kind of looking to these two ways especially with training camps right around the corner to or at least a month and a half away St so you know I I think it’s 14 guys on the roster also so the heat also rely on these three two-way guys no when I meant keeping Drew Smith on you know keeping tabs on Drew Smith I just meant at the time like over the summer and that was just a way of okay let’s just build this out I think they always viewed all three two-way contracts regardless of who was filling them at the time as open competition and somebody’s going to win them in summer league so um where would you go with this I think you and I would both have kead Johnson in one of those if we had to decide if we had to make this decision now which again he don’t have to make this decision now um but where do you think they should go with this I I don’t I don’t entirely know I really don’t I I I I’m torn because I feel like Cole swi like he has such a specialized area like there are deficiencies you know as much as we hate to say it there are deficiencies in his games that make him a liability but his strengths are so overwhelmingly strong like he is such a good shooter has shown that he’s a good shooter maybe not at the NBA level but certainly it’s in sou Falls and certainly in summer league and stuff like that like that skill is something yeah I mean there’s no denying that so whether it is translated to NBA games yeah he has the best singular skill of any of the guys we’ve that’s what it is everybody else has potential Drive motor whatever you want to call it like Josh Christopher I don’t he shot well on Monday but he didn’t shoot well in Su Falls like and he has not shot well up to this point in his NBA career maybe that’s the maybe we seeing the next Evolution there and he’s athletic and he’s a good Wing player and he brings defense at a high level Etc so there’s a lot to like about his performance but at the same time he does not have that one direct translatable skill that is clear clearly better than anybody else which is what Cole does have he’s he’s a shooter yeah can we talk a little so he’s the big name here and I think a lot of Heat fans are going to say well we got to get him a two-way the guy just scored 20 points Summer League game right what I’ll watching that game Josh Christopher was making shots that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant took at the NBA level that guy was taking Falling Away three-pointers from the corner he ain’t getting those shots at the NBA level so for the heat it’s one thing for you to show out in summer league it’s another thing to say all right what of this is scalable for us what can we and when I say scalable doesn’t always mean scale up right Josh Christopher right now is playing a scaled up version of what his role would be in the NBA how can we scale this down can he be impactful in a role there and I think Josh Christopher is saying all the right things and I think he’s working on all the right things and the heat coaching staff has been working with him since May on things like his defense and his shot he’s 6’4 with a 69 wingspan crazy athletic which we have seen that athleticism does not go away but can he be impactful as this three in D kind of roaming off thee ball player he has talked about it he needs to be more of an off thee ball player Josh Christoper was a first round pick in 2021 he was a highly recruited player at high school this guy has been on the ball for a majority of his NBA or I should say his basketball life but he is not that player in the NBA and he’s coming to terms with that but can he thrive in that role that’s the qu I’m not I have no idea that’s the question that the heater have to ask it’s it it almost means nothing to me that he scored 20 points in the fourth quarter of a summer league game as cool as it was and it was cool like it was a sick summer league eruption it was fun to watch but it almost tangibly means nothing in terms of what that means at the NBA level no yeah it’s it’s the the what he’s shown up to this point what he showed last year and what they should they see in practices and things of that sort like that I think much matters more like that manifested in one game to your point looks great really nice cool whatever but and it’s all about the work behind it like even when talking about kead like you know uh new sou Falls head coach uh Dan baceo talked about like all the work that he’s done all the practice he’s been putting in the intensity he brings and if anything I think that’s kind of what helps Kad lock in a two-way moving forward is that all the work you this is the Heat system they like their guys to put in their work to have to show it in order to be able to earn whatever it is that they get moving forward and you can picture kead Johnson at the NBA level just flying down the floor and transition getting rebounds like all these things like that stuff is directly directly translates to what he’s going to do at the NBA level Kad Johnson even in Sue Falls doesn’t have the ball in his hands very much other than finishing plays with a dunk and running like as a roller and some pick and roll stuff they’re playing at small ball Center a little bit in summer league it’s just been like that stuff to me makes more sense so I do I have Josh Christopher on my short list I’m not saying that he’s not going to get a two-way no right like I said I think he is doing the right things but um I also have Isaiah Stevens on here I mean this guy I he’s the one guy I don’t have on my I think he does not get a two-way moving forward but I go ahead and present your case for why you think he should well I don’t have him on I don’t know that I have him on my tway I just have him on my short list I think it was okay uh but I don’t know I so here’s the thing yes he’s small yes he’s old right he’s 24 right fiveyear sixe Collegiate player whatever it was fiveyear player he just knows how to play basketball and I yeah I can’t escape that and I don’t and I think the heat I think that matters to them I also wonder if they say you know what in a break glass in case of emergency type situation where Terry Rosier gets hurt and we don’t have another traditional point guard who we trust to make decisions with the ball in his hand and I don’t I don’t even care about him being a point guard or a shooting guard or a center or whatever I don’t care but another player who we trust to make good decisions with the ball in his hand Isaiah Stevens makes good decisions now he’s six foot nothing he’s going to get trapped he’s it’s going to be easy to kind of get the ball of his hands at the NBA level but I also don’t see teams targeting him that way and I do think that there I think he’s just he’s got just such great feel for the game I don’t know it between him and Zion Pullen he’s outplayed pullan pulling at least has the size at 64 is where it’s not as much of a deficit but I don’t think there’s any doubt that Isa Stevens is the better basketball player pound-for-pound but I that’s also not how the NBA works so I don’t know I can go either way on this but he’s been so impressive and his feel for the game understanding for the game is such a high level already it works for what happens next you know in terms of like you have to be able to again show your work like you have to be able to say what you’ve done behind the scenes but also it has to manifest it has to be able to be demonstrated at a high level like he’s starting over pulling so I think that matters I think the way if if I were to speak for the heat coaching staff and what they’re seeing right now the hierarchy of those two is probably Stevens’s ahead of fand but I also think given what we’ve talked about a lot over the last few weeks is that Miami is kind of moving away from having a specific point guard They’re Not Gonna Keep Drew Smith because he’s not playing well they don’t need to keep either Pullen or Stevens and so if I’m looking at who Miami is going to keep on a on their three- two ways I don’t think either of them get it I don’t think Poland Who currently has it nor Stevens as well as he’s played I think he was I think he’ll be more beneficial as at soue Falls where he can be almost like a direct extension of basio and the coaching staff because he does such a good job of setting the table for everybody else which is not something that he needs to do at the NBA level and it’s it’s it is important I’m not dismissing it all together and I know a lot of Heat fans your point no no that’s not going to be his role the two-way guy is not your point guard on on your NBA roster no it’s a great point it’s not one that I thought I just maybe assume that they were just going to have one of these point guards in one of their two ways cuz the Heat have pretty much done that they’ve always kind of kept like a nominal point guard on one of these two ways but you’re absolutely right they don’t have to part of the calculus here also is which one of these guys do we not have to have on a two-way and we feel pretty good that they’re not going to get picked up by another team right and Isaiah Stevens has had an impressive summer league but he is 6′ nothing and maybe there isn’t an opportunity out there like you might like the risk of being like okay we’re impressed with you but we don’t need to have you on a two-way because we don’t think that another team is going to pick you up so we feel pretty safe with you just being in our g-league team y take a that could be the route that they go whereas somebody like Cole schwier or Alis Williams who have played NBA games right you might feel a little bit more of a need to bring them onto your 2A if they don’t get a standard roster Spot somewhere else which obviously can happen uh while they’re not on these two-ways which currently they are free agents they’re not on a two-way so uh so if I feel like I should press but I don’t know that I need to I I don’t know like do you have a favorite for the three spots yeah I think right now I think Christopher I think Johnson and I’d have to say one of schwier or Williams Because I you can make a case for either because again both of them have been part of the system for a while now and you could justify alandis as saying you know what we’re making him into our deao point guard so at least we still kind of kill two birds with one stone sort of a wing is two guard the same time also a sort of point guard that you can kind of trust you can have him as a two-way guy and you kind of take a chance that maybe Cole might be viewed as you know what the Heat Can’t coach him up and can’t get him to play defense at a high level then what chance does any other team have like he’s one of those guys like you said you might take a risk and saying you know what we we’ll kind of leave him exposed not have him as a two-way guy and kind of hope for the best and maybe he’ll just continue to develop at Sue Falls or the thing Cole yeah is he’s an elite three-point shooter but he already have two Elite three-point Shooters with Tyler herro and Duncan Robinson and unless they don’t like dunan Robinson’s under contract for another two years Tyler Hero’s under contract for another three years it’s you know you you might say like as much as we like kweer we just don’t have a spot for him like that makes any sense unless that he think that maybe they’ll have a spot somewhere going for forward or maybe that maybe I’m Galaxy braining this thing and it doesn’t matter and you can never have enough three-point Shooters and maybe it’s that simple I don’t know but have dimensional three-point shooting yeah that’s the whole thing like you have to break something else it’s gonna be a tough decision for the heat to make they don’t have to make it now we’ve got a few more Summer League games to go we got all our training camp to go we’re probably not going to know until the beginning of the the the season who ends up taking these two ways and this could still change in the middle of the season that’s the other thing that the heat do team could be offering a two-way to any of the guys in roster right now right like they could pluck any of these guys that are not currently signed to a 2way that’ll do it for us today thanks for making lock down heat your first listen every day like comment and subscribe on YouTube and follow us on your podcast app

Miami Heat rookie Keshad Johnson has been a standout at Summer League, and now he joins Locked On Heat to discuss his path to the Heat, growing up in Oakland and what fans can expect from him this season.

Then Wes Goldberg and David Ramil discuss who the favorites are to land Miami’s three two-way contracts.

0:00 Intro
1:30 Keshad’s Heat draft workout
3:45 Approach to Summer League
6:45 Family support
10:00 Keshad’s brother getting shot as a kid
12:00 What is Heat Culture?
13:30 “Me and Jaime, we knew each other for a while now”
16:00 Keshad on Pelle: “He’s very fiery”

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