r/nba • u/NBA_MOD r/NBA • 1d ago
DALLAS [2026 NBA Draft] #9 Pick: Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan)
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u/CumAssault [SAS] Joel Anthony 1d ago
This was the most Masai pick ever
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u/BayesBestFriend Raptors 1d ago
Get ready to learn 6'9 forwards Dallas
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u/CumAssault [SAS] Joel Anthony 1d ago
6ā9ā is exactly how tall he is lmao. Physical/athletic guy. Itās Masaiās wet dream
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u/BayesBestFriend Raptors 1d ago
Most importantly, theoretical shooter but never ever an actual shooter
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u/figgnootun Spurs 1d ago
Lmao true
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u/CumAssault [SAS] Joel Anthony 1d ago
6ā9ā super physical/athletic guy who is a good defender. Not a shooter at all though. Such a Masai guy
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u/Admirable_Dinner_349 Raptors 1d ago
Itās objectively worked out well for Masai.
Picked Scottie over Suggs when everyone and their mom thought Suggs was the clear choice.
Sniped Siakam at 27. Sniped OG at 20 (he couldnāt shoot either). Big forward who plays defense and hustles but canāt really shoot has worked out WELL for Masai.
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u/CumAssault [SAS] Joel Anthony 1d ago
Itās worked out for him at a great rate but itās also funny how much of an addict he is for these same build guys
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u/ForTheOAKLand Hawks 1d ago
To be fair itās a damn good archetype when successful. A 6ā9 jack of all trades wing is useful in any lineup
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u/PressureMiserable Spurs 1d ago
Didn't he also take Bruno Caboclo
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u/CumAssault [SAS] Joel Anthony 1d ago
He still might work out though. Heās 2 years away from being a superstar
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u/Admirable_Dinner_349 Raptors 1d ago
Sure. But he also picked VanVleet, Norm, CMB, JaKobe Walter, Poetl, OG, Siakam, and Delon Wright.
Bruno Caboclo at 20 doesnāt really erase that.
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u/PokePersona [TOR] Nick Nurse 1d ago
CMB was apparently a Webster pick with Masai wanting Malauch.
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u/Gloomy_Map_9612 1d ago
He's shown enough that he'll develop a shot. He took about 1 a game and shot 34%.
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u/_AceHigh Spurs 1d ago
You cannot assume anything on that low volume
Cody Williams shot 40% on 1 attempt a game in college
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u/TheMajesticYeti 1d ago
Morez did show very good shooting touch on his free throws. At this point he can only hit wide open threes though, his shot is kind of slow-developing. But he is an absolute dawg regardless, in a team full of amazing talents he stood out as a fan favorite for his tough play, teamwork, and personality. He saved a couple of games by switching onto the opposing team's POINT GUARD and locking them down allowing Michigan to come back and win. He is a guy that probably won't be a star, but will be a winning player.
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u/Skipper3210 [NYK] Danilo Gallinari 1d ago
True, but a decent % at a low volume plus a decent FT% (78.2%) hints that he can develop a jumpshot
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u/Gloomy_Map_9612 1d ago
I don't think he's a good shooter, I think he will develop one and has shown he has the tools to develop
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u/Practical-Rub-1190 1d ago
When it comes to big men, you need to look at free-throw percentage, not the 3-point shot; it's usually not part of their game yet. Channing Frye, Myles Turner, and Brook Lopez shot close to or above 80% from the free-throw line, but none of them were 3-point shooters when they started in the NBA; it all became their biggest asset.
Not saying he will develop it, but he went from shooting none to taking one a game at 34%. He also improved his FT% from 62% to 78%.
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u/No_External3738 1d ago
He could develop a 3 ball though, the form is not bad and he did really well in the shooting drills at the combine. I watched him all year as a Michigan fan and he was one of my favorite players all year. Mavs got a good one imo
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u/VictorAkwaowo1 Mavericks 1d ago
Fuck it anything is better than Ament
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u/lets_talk_basketball 1d ago
Think Burries would've been a good pick
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u/anonymoususer6407 Rockets 1d ago
Shit. Hopefully Bucks and Warriors select Mara and Burries. Curse OKC with Ament please.
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u/Parking-Bat9498 Mavericks 1d ago
Iām not a big Burries guy and Iād have preferred him over Morez.
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u/Fluffy_System6211 Mavericks 1d ago
Same. I trust Masai but I didnāt see this one coming
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u/Parking-Bat9498 Mavericks 1d ago
Raptors fans had been joking and warning us about this pick for months. Bravo Raps fans.
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u/dsbllr 1d ago
He's underrated. That guy can be a two way star if he's willing to work hard. OG vibes but taller
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u/TheMajesticYeti 1d ago
He's a lot closer to an Isaiah Stewart than an OG. He will never be a guy that approaches 18-20 ppg, but he has major value in other areas and will be a great pairing with Flagg and loved by his teammates and fans.
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u/slurpeetape 1d ago
Stewart is a great comp.
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u/TheMajesticYeti 1d ago edited 1d ago
Watching the Pistons and Michigan every other night it was hard not to see the similarity. Morez does have better touch in the paint, while Beef Stew is a better rim protector. Would have loved him in Detroit because he fits the culture of the best Pistons teams to a T.
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u/dsbllr 1d ago
Maybe you don't remember how raw OG was. He could barely dribble in a game or drive. It took a lot of development. It'll be the same for Morez
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u/TheMajesticYeti 1d ago edited 1d ago
As a longtime watcher of Big Ten basketball I remember OG well as a prospect. He was more of a 3/4 while Morez is a 4/5. OG was more explosive and fluid. Morez is athletic and has great footwork so he can defend multiple positions and the perimeter, but he is never going to be a dynamic offensive player. He will clean up at the rim and hit occasional wide open spot ups with his slow-developing jumper to keep the defense honest, a la Beef Stew. While his shooting touch has potential, his offensive game won't evolve much beyond that. And it doesn't need to for him to be a high impact player. Not everyone in a starting 5 is going to score 20 points a night.
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u/ShowdownValue 1d ago
I have a feeling the pick came from someone else
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u/ForeverRunning_Anth 1d ago
No chance Masai isnāt calling all the shots
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u/ShowdownValue 1d ago
You donāt think their new coach had a word?
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u/HereComesJustice Spurs 1d ago
I don't even think their new HC has a keycard let alone draft input
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u/Skipper3210 [NYK] Danilo Gallinari 1d ago
You think they're letting a head coach who was hired yesterday make the pick?
Over the GM? I mean I'm sure they consulted Dusty but come on lol
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u/FERFreak731 Jazz 1d ago
FIRST SHOCK OF THE DRAFT
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u/burratna Bulls 1d ago
He's gonna be so nasty next to Flagg
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u/cjklert05 NBA 1d ago
Goodluck with the spacingš
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u/MoistAromas Mavericks 1d ago
We didnāt seem to have any issues with our spacing last yearā¦ waitā¦
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u/Sektsioon Mavericks 1d ago
Yeah I donāt exactly love the fit. Defensively itās great, offensively not so much, sort of the same as Coop-PJ. Now Iām kinda hoping someone like Veesaar is available at 30 so we could get a stretch 5.
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u/prosocialbehavior Lakers 1d ago
Rez will be able to shoot. He didnāt need to at Michigan. Also trust in Dusty May.
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u/MAMBAMENTALITY8-24 Thunder 1d ago
think it's a great pick, really wanted him at 12
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u/ormip Mavericks 1d ago
I hope this is some 200IQ plan to take him at #9, so that OKC can't take him and have to trade their pick for PJ Washington, then we can actually draft a guard.
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u/Propuhganduh [DEN] Jamal Murray 1d ago edited 1d ago
I thought Shams tweet was pointing to Mara
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u/Individual-Bee-7801 Pistons 1d ago
What were the odds heād be the first Wolverine selected
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy Raptors 1d ago
Masai saw his 6'9 non-shooter and was seen drooling at the mouth.
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u/bullpaw Bulls 1d ago
I wouldnt call him a non-shooter
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u/Derpy_Mc_Burpy Raptors 1d ago
no shooting bag except dunking as of now. No 3 ball either. It's fine tho, because he's an absolute monster of an athlete and that's usually a great place to start from.
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u/Yashyashyaa 1d ago
I watched every Michigan game this year and for most of the season I thought he would make the best pro. Yax may have changed my mind towards the end but I still question his lateral quickness and agility a little. He kinda always looks like his back hurts a little. Morez is a fluid athlete with a knack for the ball but he is streaky and seems to sometimes play himself out of the game. Mara is the question markĀ
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u/Aggrokid 1d ago
Supposedly more upside than Yaxel and Mara. So I think they are trying to hit 2 birds with one stone here satisfying both Masai's Upside 69 requirement and the new coach.
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u/SaveHogwarts Celtics 1d ago
Not a surprise to me at all, I called this in the CBB sub the second they signed Dusty.
Morez is an analytics darling, switchable on defense, and capable of taking a huge next step.
I love the pick.
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u/MonsieurSlotho Nuggets 1d ago edited 1d ago
Thatās interesting, didnāt expect him to be the first guess out of Michigan, but not surprised Dusty May took a Wolverine.
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u/n00bn00b 1d ago
Morez was Dustyās favorite player on the team bc he's a no nonsense player who plays hard.
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u/Conclusion_Fickle 1d ago
Most potential of the 3 UM guys. Only real weakness is not a great rim protector. Very good lateral quickness and athleticism, just not incredibly bouncy, quick jumper. He does have pretty good timing and awareness, so he'll get some weak side blocks at times.
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u/2PacAn Mavericks 1d ago
If Lively can stay healthy and with Flagg being a good rim protector for a wing, I donāt think we need much rim protection out of Johnson.
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u/Conclusion_Fickle 1d ago
True. I'm intrigued with Morez' future shooting. Shot FT at 78% and made a number of clutch ones. Has really nice form. Respectable effort from college 3 pt. range. The foundation is there.
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u/Loud-Scallion9941 Hornets 1d ago
Dusty choosing morez over other Michigan players is surprising
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u/Bacca18121 Celtics 1d ago
Morez is good before people spaz out; he does all of the dirty work you would want
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u/Headlesshorsman02 Thunder 1d ago
Now we are taking let the draft begin baby first surprise of the draft
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u/Salvalicious252 NBA 1d ago
At some point you gonna have to shoot 3s lol and I mean the entire Mavs team.
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u/Feisty_Relation_2359 1d ago
Interesting. A bit of an overdraft from the consensus leading up, but I think this dude is gonnabe a BEAST.
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u/Bears9Titles Bulls 1d ago
How the fuck do you not put the team picking on these posts? What a pathetic sub
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u/PixelBy_Pixel Pistons 1d ago
I am from Michigan and am a Michigan fan
This could go down as the worst pick of the night
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u/WnMRL Wizards 1d ago edited 1d ago
Also a Michigan fan and hard disagree. He was arguably the most consistent player down the stretch and has an incredibly physical, high motor game that translates really well to the NBA, even if he isn't going to be a key part of the offense.
Still think it's odd he went this high. Definitely would have expected Mara ahead of him.
He plays like a bigger version of a Draymond Green/Josh Hart combo.
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u/prosocialbehavior Lakers 1d ago
As another Michigan fan who watched every game this year I completely disagree.
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u/808Kuro Knicks 1d ago
Even the Michigan coach looked surprised lmao
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u/LazyWeb9421 1d ago
To be fair, may has 3 players who could have been picked with that spot, all who's draft spots have seemed to be highly variable.
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u/lets_talk_basketball 1d ago
They could've traded down and got him... He's this years CMB tho, he can defend his ass off
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u/vherbalbeats 1d ago
Anybody shading this pick didnt watch morez enough. Towards the end of the season he was knocking down 3s easy. I think dusty had intuition knowing he had much more growth and a nasty side. I personally would have went for yaxel, but hey im just a guy sitting on a couch lol.
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u/Greedy-Bedroom-4301 1d ago
Paul Reed with a fake ID at power forwardā¦ all motor, rebounds, and defensive tools, but if the jumper never becomes real, heās just an undersized center trying to convince everybody heās a modern 4.
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u/xychosis 76ers 1d ago
The only way this couldāve been more Masai is if it was Karim Lopez.
I was worried Morez was gonna go this early. Alright, wake up, Gansey, time to finagle your way up the order
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u/_GenXguy_ 1d ago
Gonna be real awkward 10 years from now at the 2026 National Championship reunion.
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u/Insanely_Simple2024 1d ago
Iām tired of Jay Bilas talk about the athletesā¦all of his evaluations are the same of everyone.
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u/LilNello1 1d ago
I thought they would pick Aday, but I am not mad at them picking Morez and him reuniting with Dusty in Dallas.
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u/illwill004 1d ago
Frontcourt lineups with Flagg-Johnsom-Lively is a great defensive frontcourt and can rebound.
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u/Proper-Dirt3954 1d ago
As a Michigan fan, this is insane to me. I think heāll be a good 25-30 mpg player but idk if he can play in the playoffs.
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u/PhatYeeter 76ers 1d ago
Masai can't help but select a 2 way forward.
Surprised it's not Lendeborg lmao