Morez Johnson Jr. must make an offensive leap to fit with the Mavericks

When the Dallas Mavericks selected Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr., some audible groans from fans were evident. Dallas punted on adding much-needed shooting and instead went with the interior-oriented Johnson Jr. Yet, even though Johnson Jr. isn't a perimeter threat, he might have to become more of one to earn consistent minutes, especially if he'll be suiting up next to Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II.

A season ago, Dallas ranked near the bottom in almost every 3-point shooting category — 26th in 3-point percentage, 29th in makes, and dead last in wide-open percentage. Thus, adding a perimeter marksman in the draft, such as Arizona's Brayden Burries, almost felt inevitable.

Still, Dallas stayed true to its apparent draft board and confided in Masai Ujiri's philosophy by adding the 6-foot-9, 250-pound Johnson Jr. in the lottery. Moreover, Johnson's breakout sophomore campaign at Michigan came under the tutelage of now-Mavericks head coach Dusty May. So, it wasn't like Johnson Jr. was a major out-of-the-box selection, but that doesn't mean he won't have to adjust his game now that he's in the NBA.

Morez Johnson Jr. faces a steep shooting adjustment

Every prospect will be tasked with developing now that they're on the world's greatest stage, but Johnson Jr.'s adjustment will come more abruptly.

Johnson shot 34.3 percent from beyond the arc at Michigan. However, he made just 12 of 35 attempts through 40 games, which was also his total throughout his collegiate career. In other words, he didn't even attempt a 3-pointer until his sophomore year under May.

While Johnson Jr. played next to an interior-oriented center in Aday Mara for the Wolverines, the college game is still much different than the NBA. Spacing is essentially a prerequisite in today's NBA, and Dallas can't once again get away with trotting out three sub-average 3-point shooters. We've seen the results, and they weren't pretty.

Johnson Jr.'s shooting could dictate his place in the lineup

Once in Dallas, Johnson Jr. will at least have to become a somewhat threatening 3-point shooter. As a top-10 pick, Johnson is to be expected to develop into a long-term starter, which means lining up between Flagg and Lively at the four. Flagg shot 29.5 percent from beyond the arc a season ago, while Lively is 0-for-2 through three professional seasons from long range.

So, Johnson Jr. must develop into a reliable jumper while playing alongside a below-average marksman and a non-shooter. Fortunately, it's not far-fetched — Johnson made a three in the Summer League and knocked down 17-of-25 threes during the NBA Combine star drill. However, knocking down threes at a respectable clip in the NBA is a different order of magnitude.

The 20-year-old will surely be tasked with immediately shooting it from beyond the arc, likely more so than he ever did at Michigan… at least, if he wants to play alongside Flagg and Co. Although Johnson Jr. might be best suited to line up at center for the foreseeable future, that's not plausible in the interim, forcing the rookie to make an abrupt offensive leap as soon as he steps on the hardwood in Dallas.

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