Dallas Mavericks rookie Morez Johnson Jr. will have a chance to earn Dusty May’s trust. Over the last couple of years, Dallas has dealt with a lot of frontcourt injuries. He is a versatile big who can guard multiple positions, and he can shoot the ball well. May said he plans on playing Johnson at power forward and center and that he can guard one through five.
The Dirty Work and Rebounding of Morez Johnson Will be Key
In just 14 minutes against the Hawks in a preseason game, he was able to grab 7 rebounds. Johnson’s rebounding and dirty work will be a key factor in determining how many minutes he gets. He will need to rebound, chase loose balls, and set good screens for the guards. His offensive rebounding ability will create more possessions for the Mavericks.
Johnson is the type of player who can affect the game even when he’s not scoring. He plays hard every possession on both ends and doesn’t need the ball to be effective. If he’s grabbing rebounds consistently, then it will be hard for Coach May to take him out of the game.
His Ability to Defend
Johnson’s ability to defend will be important. He is a versatile defender who will be able to switch on every screen. Other players and coaches won’t have to worry about him being too slow to guard ones and twos or too small to guard bigs. He has shown the capability of guarding every position on the floor.
Johnson is also a physical defender who doesn’t allow much breathing room to the opposing players. He’s able to bump both guards and centers off their spot and make things tough for them. Johnson’s defense will be something that Dallas needs this year, as last year they struggled to defend.
Adjusting to the NBA Game
Johnson may need a little bit of time to adjust to the NBA game. It’s one thing to play in the preseason, but the actual season is a whole different beast. He’ll need to get comfortable with the speed of the game on both ends. May has noted that his physical style of play could cause him to get into foul trouble.
Johnson has a versatile offensive game and is able to step out and hit threes. He is also athletic and can attack the paint. The adjustment on the offensive side is something he’ll need to make. He already looked comfortable in preseason and doesn’t look like he needs too much adjusting. He will need to learn when to be aggressive defensively and when to back off a bit.
In Johnson’s rookie year, he doesn’t need to become a high-volume scorer. Success for him will be rebounding and how the defense looks. They won’t need him to do too much offensively. They will, however, need him to play solid defense and win every loose-ball battle. This is a rookie who is poised for a good season.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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