Morez Johnson Jr. is back, and the Mavericks need him

The best part of Johnson's breakout night happened after the game, in the locker room, with Cooper Flagg doing the talking.

"Only ten." That's the right answer. Ten offensive rebounds is a whole game's work for some guys, and Johnson did it on the offensive glass alone. It was his first career double-double, and it came in a game Dallas won by 12. Flagg added afterward that 10 offensive boards doesn't happen without incredible effort, and that the Mavs get a lot better when Johnson plays like that.

Some background. Dallas took Johnson 9th overall in the 2026 draft out of Michigan, after he spent his freshman year at Illinois. The fit was obvious from day 1: Dusty May, his coach at Michigan, was announced as the Mavericks' head coach on draft day. So the coach sitting next to him on the bench already knows exactly what he looks like at full speed.

He hadn't been at full speed yet. Shin splints bugged Johnson through training camp and into the first week or so of the regular season, and he missed practice time because of it. May didn't sugarcoat it either. He said the 20-year-old wasn't in the type of shape he's usually in, and credited him with getting his weight down and getting his game legs back.

That's the takeaway. Johnson says he's back, and May says this is the version of him that should be playing regularly. May also called him a winning player and pointed out that Dallas doesn't run a single play for him. Getting 13 and 17 out of a guy you never call a set for is free production, and a team building around Flagg needs that kind of big man doing the dirty work.

Now we see if it sticks. One monster night on the glass after a slow, banged-up start is a nice story. Doing it again is a rotation spot. If the shins hold up and May keeps playing him, Johnson could end up as the energy big this Mavs team has been missing, the guy whose work shows up on the offensive boards and in second-chance points.