I am probably more excited about Morez Johnson Jr. than I should be this early.
Dallas selected him ninth overall after he helped Dusty May and Michigan win the national championship, and the player-coach fit is obvious. Johnson already understands what May wants from a frontcourt player, and Dallas clearly believed enough in his defense, rebounding and physicality to make him a top-10 pick. He averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks at Michigan while shooting 62.3 percent from the field,
made the Big Ten All-Defensive Team, and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.
But I think the expectations need to stay pretty limited.
Johnson is not coming into the NBA as some polished offensive player. He is not a great ball-handler; he is not someone Dallas should be running offense through, and although he showed some shooting touch in college, that is not really what made him a lottery pick. His value has always come from the dirty work: rebounding, defending, finishing around the rim, and making plays that don’t always show up in a box score.
That is what Dallas should ask him to do first.
Biggest question
How versatile can Morez Johnson become defensively?
We already know he can rebound and play around the rim. He was one of the Big Ten’s better rebounders and has always played with a high motor. Even Brad Underwood, his former coach at Illinois, called him one of the best out-of-position rebounders he had ever coached. What I am more interested in is what Dusty May asks him to do away from the basket. Johnson has the size and mobility to guard more than one position, theoretically. If Dallas can trust him to switch onto wings, defend in space, and survive against quicker players, that completely changes the kind of lineups May can use. With Dereck Lively II and Santi Aldama out at the start of the season, Johnson will likely get more minutes at the five than anyone expected, and that should give Dallas an early look at how much defensive responsibility he can handle.
The key is finding out whether he is simply an undersized center who rebounds and protects the paint, or if he can become the kind of frontcourt defender who lets Dallas play more aggressively.
Best case scenario
The best-case scenario is that Johnson immediately earns Dusty May’s trust.
Not by averaging 15 points or suddenly developing a huge offensive game, but by consistently doing what he was drafted to do. Rebound everything. Set good screens. Finish around the rim. Defend without fouling. Make the extra pass. Be in the right place. Johnson is already an elite finisher around the basket and a strong second-effort player, and that should translate quickly. If he can also show enough defensive versatility to play both the four and five, there is a real path to him becoming one of Dallas’ most useful bench players immediately. The Mavericks do not need him creating offense. They need someone who can make life easier for Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving, and whoever else is carrying the offense that night.
Worst case scenario
The worst case is simply that he looks like a rookie.
That would not be some disaster. Johnson is only 20 years old, and a lot of the things that made him dominant in college are harder to rely on against NBA size and athleticism. He won’t physically overwhelm everyone anymore. Bigger centers are going to move him. Guards are going to force him into space. Teams will ignore him away from the rim until he proves he can punish them. If he struggles defensively on the perimeter and does not provide enough spacing offensively, his role could become pretty limited. That is especially true once Lively and Aldama return. Dallas has a crowded frontcourt, and Johnson isn’t guaranteed closing minutes just because he was a lottery pick. There will be nights when the matchup doesn’t make sense for him.
Season goal
Figure out what he is. That sounds simple, but I think that is exactly what this season should be about.
Dallas needs to learn what Johnson can do at NBA speed. Can he defend fours? Can he play small-ball five? Can he stay on the court against spacing lineups? Can he become a dependable screener and short-roll passer? Can he punish smaller defenders enough around the rim to keep teams honest? The Mavericks do not need all those answers immediately. This season should make Johnson comfortable enough that by April, Dallas knows which parts of his game are real strengths and which still need work.
Overall
I am very high on Morez Johnson long term. I just don’t think this needs to be a huge statistical rookie season to be successful. His job is not to become a star immediately. It is to become reliable. He already knows Dusty May’s system, understands how to impact games without the ball, and fits naturally with the core Dallas is building around Cooper Flagg. If Johnson spends this year rebounding, defending, learning how to survive at both frontcourt spots, and gradually expanding his offensive game, that is enough.
