Morez Johnson Jr.'s energy makes him the perfect fit with Cooper Flagg on Mavericks

Morez Johnson Jr. unequivocally had his best game as a Dallas Maverick in Dallas' Friday night NBA Cup win versus the Utah Jazz, finishing with 13 points, 17 rebounds, one block, one steal, and a plus-minus of +20. This game was a coming-out party for Johnson, but more importantly, it proved how well he'll fit with Cooper Flagg as a staple of the Mavericks for years to come, as Johnson and Flagg are cut from the same cloth in terms of how they approach the game.

Johnson had 10 offensive rebounds alone against Utah, as his energy and hustle were off the charts. Head coach Dusty May recently confirmed he's finally off a minutes restriction, and it was clear he's definitely fully healthy again, as evidenced by him touching roughly 12 feet on a one-handed transition alley-oop from Naji Marshall.

Flagg and Johnson did their postgame presser together, and Flagg was very complimentary of Johnson when asked about how they could be a young and dynamic duo going forward.

Morez Johnson Jr. and Cooper Flagg are both workhorses

"Something that stands out with us, and something that's going to be key for us, is our effort," Flagg said after the game. "I think we are two guys, that obviously we are talented, but it more comes down to the mentality and effort. We're going to show up every night and play our hardest to win and compete at a really high level. Just something to expect.”

"That's the standard we're trying to set, and the culture we are trying to build is just a high-level competing culture where we're not just going through the motions."

What stands out more than anything is that Flagg talked about Johnson's effort and competitive nature rather than honing in on his talent and what he did well on the court. That's not to say Johnson isn't talented, as he's a switchable defender at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, and has great touch around the rim as well as a high basketball IQ for a young big man.

Johnson and Flagg can be special together long-term

However, he's buying into Dallas' culture at a high level, and it's clear this was one of the main reasons May got his Michigan standout to get drafted by Masai Ujiri and company this past June. Someone like Brayden Burries probably would've fit this Mavericks team better in the early going, especially with their shooting struggles and Max Christie's tough start to the season, but Dallas is trying to build a culture of young guys that have the same type of dog mentality that Flagg has.

Johnson hasn't been bad by any means through nine games, but fans saw the full package of his game for the first time on Friday night. Like any young player, he'll have inevitable growing pains, such as over-fouling, especially when going against top bigs in the association, but he's going to play his tail off on both sides of the floor regardless.

No one gets 17 rebounds from talent, athleticism, and strength alone, especially at the NBA level, and Johnson's attention to detail has been very impressive thus far in his career. He doesn't take plays off, just like Flagg, and if he continues to show promise in terms of his outside jumper and offensive savvy, he just might form an All-Star duo with Flagg in Dallas one day.

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