​Morez Johnson Jr. delivered a dazzling showing for the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, lighting up the floor against his former Michigan teammate Yaxel Lendeborg and the Golden State Warriors. Johnson piled up a game-high 27 points on an efficient 12-for-17 shooting night, adding eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks to his stat line. Despite the eye-popping numbers in his NBA Summer League debut, the 6-foot-9 forward/center kept a grounded tone about his performance.
The Mavericks had just hired former Wolverines coach Dusty May the day before, bringing him back together with Johnson. Dallas’s decision to select the bruising big man early in the 2026 NBA Draft surprised many observers. Heading into the draft, most mock projections placed Johnson somewhere in the 13–18 range; instead, Mavericks president Masai Ujiri took a bold swing and made Johnson the No. 9 pick.
Kicking off his NBA career with a standout showing against a hypothetical lottery pick in Lendeborg, Johnson seemed determined to prove Ujiri’s gamble was warranted. After the game, he downplayed the magnitude of his performance, saying it was “alright,” though he acknowledged it would have felt better if Dallas had secured the win. “It would have been better if we got the win,” Johnson told SportsCenter, a sentiment that drew a playful eye-roll from Lendeborg as the interview rolled on.
The pick’s reception among analysts was mixed. The Athletic labeled the Mavericks’ decision to draft Johnson as the “strangest reach,” noting Dallas could have snagged Brayden Burries instead and suggesting Johnson was being shoehorned into a crowded frontcourt of fours and fives. The outlet gave the pick a C+ grade. ESPN, on the other hand, offered a more favorable B+ grade, praising Johnson’s “relentless energy as a defender and rebounder.”
And while some questions linger about the draft choice, Johnson’s performance against Golden State stirred the conversation. He was disruptive on defense, protecting the rim, switching onto guards with ease, and knocking down multiple midrange jumpers. If he can sustain that two-way impact, Johnson’s ceiling could rise well beyond what most scouts anticipated.
The Mavericks still boast a depth chart that includes P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II, among others. Johnson’s early success has him turning heads, and although he played it cool after the game, his trajectory suggests he could become a meaningful engine for Dallas if he continues to exceed expectations. With his blend of defensive versatility and scoring potential, Johnson’s development warrants watchful optimism as the season unfolds.