Morez Johnson Jr. gives the Mavericks a physical edge no one else does

Morez Johnson Jr. is already the most physical player on the Dallas Mavericks, and he's been in the NBA for less than a month. Dallas drafted Johnson with the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and while it took him some time to get adjusted to the NBA, he's beginning to make a major impact off the bench.

The physical edge that he brings in his minutes is unmatched. While the Mavericks have other physical players like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Naji Marshall, no one matches the relentless physicality that Rez brings to the floor.

Dusty May's evaluation of Morez Johnson Jr.'s physicality was spot-on

Dusty May touched on Johnson's physicality before Sunday night's game against the Brooklyn Nets, as he was asked to expand on a statement that he and his coaching staff at Michigan would say last season. They would say, "We have Rez, and they don't."

Their reasoning for saying this aligns with how the former Michigan Wolverine has played this season.

"With Rez, there was never a game where we felt like the other team was gonna have a more physical mentality or physical approach in the paint," May said. "They’re not gonna overwhelm us on the glass, they’re not gonna push us around, and so that’s what Rez is. As you guys can see, he's a rookie in the league, and I don't think he's been manhandled yet."

May later went on to say that the Wolverines never believed they would get outworked, especially in the paint, because of Johnson.

Johnson's physicality is already overwhelming opponents

He displayed his high energy and effort in the paint on Friday night against the Utah Jazz, finishing with 13 points, 17 rebounds, one steal, and one block. Ten of these 17 rebounds were on the offensive end, and the physicality that he brings when crashing the glass was evident.

Rez isn't afraid to throw his body into someone when boxing them out, and his playstyle exhausts the other team.

Noah Clowney couldn't handle Johnson

This was notably clear against the Nets, as Johnson helped force Noah Clowney into six fouls in eight minutes.

Clowney and Johnson had to be separated in the third quarter after Johnson and Clowney collided on Dallas' offensive end (Clowney fouled him), and Johnson was not backing down. Clowney was clearly upset, while Johnson remained level-headed. All P.J. Washington could do was laugh as he helped separate the two players.

This happened after Johnson put Clowney on his back with one arm while boxing out on the other end. Even though Johnson was given a technical foul for this play after review, his physicality helped him draw a retaliation foul on Clowney.

A few plays later, Clowney shoved Johnson on the offensive end. This was Clowney's sixth foul of the game, and he fouled out in just eight minutes. Johnson directly caused Clowney to pick up his final two fouls out of frustration, and he didn't let the Nets' big man throw him off his game.

Daniel Gafford knows how strong Johnson is

These are the types of things that don't come up on the stat sheet, but they make a major impact on winning. Johnson physically exhausts his opponents, and Gafford talked about this, along with his strength, after the game.

Gaff said that he was "tired after every practice" from going against Johnson during the offseason, and he said that his strength was "on full display" against the Nets. While Gafford didn't dive into the plays that Johnson and Clowney were involved in, he alluded to them, joking that he wasn't "trying to get fined."

This is just the start for Johnson

Johnson has now grabbed 26 rebounds over the last two games, and he's playing well now that he's off a minutes restriction. The shin splints that caused him some trouble during the preseason and the beginning of the regular season are gone, and May can unleash Johnson for longer stretches and use him to crash the glass, set strong screens, and frustrate opponents.

He's always looking to create contact on both ends of the floor, and he is setting the tone with his toughness.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow