Mavericks fans must look deeper to fully understand Morez Johnson Jr.'s impact

The Dallas Mavericks drafted Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 overall pick in this summer's draft. While this pick had its fair share of skeptics, it has also come with some hype. Johnson Jr. has the chance to make a massive impact as a rookie in Dallas alongside Cooper Flagg, but this doesn't mean that he'll fill up the stat sheet with big scoring nights.

Many NBA fans resort to scoring to determine how impactful a player is, but this is nowhere close to reality. A player doesn't need to be an elite scorer to be a high-impact player, and this is what makes Johnson Jr. special. While he's a good finisher around the basket and has a solid turnaround shot, he helps his team by doing the little things.

Morez Johnson Jr.'s game isn't just about scoring

Johnson Jr.'s impact stretches way beyond the stat sheet, and dedicated Mavericks fans will quickly realize this once the regular season begins in October.

One of the first things that stands out about Johnson Jr.'s game is his impact on winning. He isn't going to score the most points or have the most highlight plays every night, but he does whatever it takes to win.

He hustles for loose balls, plays physical defense, crashes the glass as hard as he can on both ends, and has a high motor. These are all qualities of a winning player, and these things should help him carve out a role right away.

What makes Johnson Jr. special

Mavs fans got a glimpse of how impactful he can be at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. While he had a 27-point game against the Golden State Warriors, his presence, physicality, and defense stood out more than his scoring.

Johnson Jr. isn't afraid to contest anyone at the rim, and he was trying to block any and every shot around the basket. He's like a brick wall when defending the paint, and the Mavs are going to have an elite defense when he's paired with players like Dereck Lively II and Cooper Flagg.

Johnson Jr. has the strength to guard up and the foot speed to guard down, making him a strong switchable defender. Dusty May will be able to use him to defend multiple positions right away, and his versatility is one of the best parts about his game.

His offensive game may take some time, as he's mostly a play finisher right now, but his effort on the offensive glass is outstanding. His strength, athleticism, and effort make him a menace on the glass, and his hustle is bound to create countless second-chance opportunities for his team.

Mavs fans need to be patient with him

MFFLs need to be patient with Johnson Jr. during his rookie year. If they look at just the stat sheet and his scoring numbers, they may be disappointed.

But if they look at his full body of work and understand how he impacts the game, these same fans will quickly realize why Dallas took him.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow