​New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May watched from the sideline at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas as two of his former Michigan Wolverines, Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg, faced off in their Summer League debut. Johnson wore the Dallas jersey and led the game with 27 points on efficient shooting, while Lendeborg, wearing Golden State colors, delivered a late surge that helped the Warriors secure a 101-90 victory on Thursday. It was Golden State’s second Summer League game and Dallas’s first, setting the stage for what many anticipated would become a developing rivalry between the two former Wolverines.
When asked how he pictured the matchup unfolding, both Johnson and Lendeborg—who helped Michigan to a national championship during their time there—acknowledged that competition would be intense. “I expected him to come at me, of course,” Johnson said, reflecting on how they constantly pushed each other during practice at Michigan. “We competed all the time in practice, we had challenges. Yeah, I was expecting it.”
After the final buzzer, the two friends shared lighthearted moments in the handshake lines and during backstage interviews and photos, a reminder that their friendship remains intact despite this new professional rivalry. “I tried to big-boy him. It never worked in practice [at Michigan],” Lendeborg joked after finishing with 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting and posting a game-high plus-minus of +26. “I don’t know why I tried it here in the game. But it doesn’t hurt to try. Didn’t move him at all. Pretty much ran into a brick wall. But it was super-fun playing against him.”
The game started with Golden State taking an early lead, riding on a productive stretch that saw their advantage swell to 24 points after leading by 20 at halftime. Dallas slowly chipped away, spurred by a fastbreak dunk from Johnson off an outlet pass from fellow first-round pick Sergio De Larrea, which brought the Mavericks within five with under five minutes left in regulation. A subsequent Dallas triple and a near-tie or go-ahead bucket hinge was thwarted by Golden State’s defense, which relied on the crafty guard LJ Cryer to cushion the lead. Cryer finished with 25 points, including five of eight from beyond the arc.
From a scouting perspective, the summer stint highlighted what May and his staff value most in their top rookie: relentless energy and a tireless motor. Johnson’s performance underscored his role as a veritable catalyst for Dallas, particularly on the defensive end and in rebounding, where his presence often alters possessions. As May’s new assistant coach Joe Boylan explained, Johnson brings a level of consistency that should significantly impact the Mavericks this season. “Morez just brings such a consistency to the team,” Boylan said. “You kind of have that sense of relief that defensively he’s going to be challenging shots, he’s going to be in the paint. He’s going to be rebounding. There were plenty of instances where if he wasn’t being held down by two guys, he’d have had a lot more rebounds in that game.”
Boylan also praised Johnson’s offensive decision-making, noting that the team encouraged him to shoot more from three and to operate effectively off the catch as a perimeter player. This adjustment aligns with May’s broader strategy of leveraging Johnson’s versatility to create spacing and drive turnovers, while also maintaining the intensity that makes him a near-constant presence on the floor.
As the Summer League continues, fans and staff alike will be watching how Johnson’s and Lendeborg’s fledgling reputations develop within the Mavericks and the Warriors, respectively. The initial matchup suggested a future where these former Wolverines remain linked by a shared past and a competitive present, pushing each other toward greater heights as they navigate the early stages of their professional careers in the NBA.