We continue our trend of evaluating power forwards projected to go around where the Charlotte Hornets pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. We’ve done Yaxel Lendeborg, Karim Lopez, and Hannes Steinbach. All bring different things to the table. So does Morez Johnson, who has a strong case as the beste defender at his position in this area of the draft. The Hornets could use some more grit and defensive tenacity, so why not?
Measurements
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 250.6 pounds
Wingspan: 7’3.5″
Standing reach: 8’11”
Standing vertical: 33.5″
Max vertical: 39″
Strengths
Defensive versatility, play finishing, physicality
Johnson has a case as the best defensive player in the Hornets’ draft range. He’s built like a truck at 6’9″ and 250 pounds while still just 20 years old. He has long arms and plus athleticism and surprisingly quick feet given his dimensions. All of those traits allow him to guard all over the floor and disrupt opposing offenses. He gets down in a stance on the perimeter and moves his feet well. He’s able to overcome quickness disadvantages with his strength and length. On the interior, he hold his ground and battles opposing bigs in the post. He’s a disruptor away from the ball with active hands and good attentiveness. If he’s guarding on the perimeter, he’s very adept at crashing down to wipe away offensive advantages. He blocks shots with authority. He was arguably the best defender on the best defense in college basketball last season.
Johnson has a very simplistic but effective offensive game right now. He doesn’t create much, but he does a lot with the looks that are provided to him. He uses his strength to carve out space inside and bully his way to the basket, and he pairs that with soft touch to finish at a high rate, even if he’s not able to get up for a dunk. He’s active as a cutter in the half court and runner in transition, and he’s like a freight train when he gets the ball going towards the basket with a head of steam.
A lot of Johnson’s selling points as.a prospect center around his physical nature and the motor he plays with. He plays with a tenacity and activity level that elevates his team on both ends of the floor, even if he’s doing things don’t show up in the counting stats. He’s a bully around the basket with nimble feet and a deft touch and he’s an imposing presence for opponents to deal with in every facet of the game.
Question Marks
Outside shooting, offensive creation
Johnson’s role and level of involvement in a competitive rotation are heavily reliant on the continued development of his outside shot. On the bright side, it’s trending in the right direction. On the other hand, it’s still in it nascent stages of development. In his freshman season at Illinois, he didn’t even attempt a three and shot 61.8% from the line. He was a total non-shooter. That changed at Michigan, where he started attempting threes and upped the free throw percentage to a very respectable 78.2%. The 3-point shooting percentage looks okay at 34.3%, but it was on very low volume with just 35 total attempts over his 40 games played. The form looks workable, though it’s a bit deliberate. He shoots more like a stretch big than a modern forward. He’s got some bad misses, but he at least has a good foundation. Some more fine tuning on his mechanics and a brighter green light to let it fly might be all he needs, but that’s never a sure bet.
Johnson’s role on offense is a play finisher. Ball handling and passing are definitely not prerequisites for a successful forward/big, but they’re definitely nice-to-haves. Johnson isn’t particularly dynamic with the ball. If he gets it with an advantage, he can put his head down and score it. But you’re not going to get much out of him as a play maker for others or as a creator from neutral situations.
Overview
Johnson’s game lacks a little bit of refinement, but there’s also appeal in the simplicity of it. He’s a bulldog that plays hard on both ends of the floor and is able to thrive without being a focal point. He can guard all over the floor and take advantage of mismatches and off ball opportunities on offense. For the Hornets, he’d bring an infusion of grit and physicality that can be missing at times. It’s like adding a girthier Moussa Diabate with more hope for a 3-point shot. Those are great guys to have as role players on the roster, and Johnson looks the part of a great role player.
Highlights