Morez Johnson Jr. has lived up to his billing as a brick wall in front of the basket. Will that reputation prevail against the best interior force in this rookie class?
A matchup of top-10 picks from this year's NBA Draft - to be more precise, the top two "big men" taken out of the college ranks - square off on Monday in Las Vegas during Summer League action: the Dallas Mavericks' Morez Johnson Jr. and Memphis Grizzlies' Cameron Boozer.
The latter holds a slightly stronger pull on this head-to-head card.
Boozer, an NBA legacy, was the No. 3 pick and was thought of as the definitive best post man available in this class. He lands on a rough and tough Grizz team that has reshaped its identity to now prominently feature the freshman All-American and national player of the year from Duke.
For Dallas, it also went the route of a prospect who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in the interior. Johnson is an athletic forward and the No. 9 overall pick from Michigan that has been a defensive stalwart in two Summer League contests thus far.
"He’s playing hard," said Mavericks Summer League coach Joe Boylan about Johnson. "He’s challenging shots at the rim. He’s blocking shots. Even with the six or seven fouls, or whatever, he had that great block in transition."
Johnson is averaging 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds through two games, along with six total blocks and five steals.
He's living up to his pre-draft billing as an NBA-ready defender right away. Granted, this isn't quite the same NBA-level competition, but the relentlessness and hustle Johnson is showing is a great takeaway about his competitiveness. That will translate to the big club once the late fall rolls around.
"His effort, his energy, his activity. He challenges every shot,” Boylan said. “He flies around. He wants to protect the rim. He takes it personally when people score on him. He’s the leader of the defense."
But Boozer's mature offensive makeup will be Johnson’s biggest test yet. The finest example of a summer-school exam that forces you to prove what you can do.
The Memphis big man put up an average of 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in four Summer League games in Salt Lake City. That's a well-rounded box score that foreshadows the Grizzlies' ability to run their offense through Boozer in the high post, which makes things difficult for whoever is guarding him one-on-one.
"He’s very, very, very mature for his years," former Mavs draftee Olivier Maxence-Prosper said this week. "The way he plays the game, he plays at his own pace. He’s fundamentally skilled. And he’s just a great dude off the court. He’s going to be a great addition to our team, and I’m glad I’m able to play with him right now to start learning from him and for him to start learning from us. He’s been great for us."
Memphis is 2-2 so far this summer, while Dallas is searching for answers at 0-2.
Johnson's defense has been the brightest highlight, and the Mavs are going to need the rookie at his best in order to stop his interior counterpart and get on the board in Las Vegas.
