It was a storybook pairing entering the NBA. Now, how do both sides see it panning out?
For the first time in history, a player coming off winning a national championship will join an NBA team led by his former college coach. This is the case for No. 9 pick Morez Johnson Jr. and Dusty May as the former Michigan Wolverines continue working together with the Dallas Mavericks.
"I think it’s great," Johnson said about sticking with May, who was officially introduced as the Mavs coach hours before Dallas drafted.
"I’m already familiar with [May’s] offense and the way he wants to play, and I would be kind of like the voice in the locker room to help other guys learn the way he’s teaching us."
That's a bold proclamation for a rookie, considering the experience that still resides in Dallas' locker room, like four-time champion Klay Thompson and perennial All-Star Kyrie Irving.
After all, Johnson rests in the confidence that he is playing for someone who is equally as confident in him.
"It became a saying amongst our staff [at Michigan], 'We have Rez and they don't,'" May said last month.
That trust is real. But with Johnson being somewhat of a defensive-minded swing forward, how does May aim to use him in a lineup that might feature a nifty point guard in Irving, a do-everything forward in Cooper Flagg, and an above-the-rim center in Dereck Lively II?
It's clear that the Mavs' calling card will be centered on defensive versatility. For Johnson, that will play into his biggest strength as an athletic forward who can switch through guarding all five positions and run in transition.
"I would say Dusty probably knows me best. I’ve been with him for a whole year," Johnson said about why he's excited to continue working with his coach. "Him just pushing me, knowing me and having that relationship and knowing that it’s coming from a good place [is good]."
May told Mavs communications officer Gina Miller exactly the type of game he hopes to develop.
"Both sides of the basketball, we're gonna make sure that ... everything fits our players strengths and hides their weaknesses," May said.
On offense, the Mavs suffered from not having Irving for the entire season as he nursed an ACL injury from the postseason prior.
In Irving's return, May hopes the Mavericks' ball movement will be the biggest improvement. He labeled "unselfishness" as a nonnegotiable in his system.
"I want us to be the best passing team in the NBA," the coach said. "I want us to play with a top-five pace and effort to get it up the floor quickly before the defense gets set..."
On the other end, May wants to see relentlessness from the array of athletes he has at his disposal.
"Defensively, to be incredibly competitive. The details and nuances will be worked out in time, but [we hope to be] a team that competes every second of every game."
Dallas finished the season just 26-56 overall. The Mavs finished with a defensive rating of 116.5, which ranked 20th in the league, and a 26th-ranked offensive rating of 111.1.
"We want people who want to do it together, who want to do it stylistically in a certain way," May added. "I think fans, the casual observer, everyone wants to watch a team that's playing with great passion, great energy, and also playing well together.
"When our fans watch our team play, I think they'll see that."
