Morez Johnson Jr. has become something of a cult favorite amongst online scouts. He probably won’t be drafted as high as his Michigan teammates Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, but he has the potential to end up as the best of the trio when it’s all said and done.
Fans of Johnson are enamored with his combination of athleticism, toughness, and defensive impact. He’s a monster of a man, standing 6’10” in shoes with a 7’3.5” wingspan while weighing in at 251 pounds. Those are impressive measurements, but the extra scary part is how mobile and bouncy he is at his size. His lane agility and three-quarter court sprint times, as well as his max vertical, at the NBA Draft Combine were all among the best for big men. He’s also incredibly strong.
Johnson is one of the best defenders in the entire class. He’s better on that end than pretty much every consensus lottery pick, including the big four of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. Only his Wolverine pals, Mara and Lendeborg, rival him on D in that range.
Few players in the NBA can genuinely cover every position effectively on defense, but Johnson projects to be one of them. He’s not like OG Anunoby or Jaden McDaniels insofar as being a legitimate point-of-attack option, but when it comes to switching, he’s about as good as it gets. Michigan’s giant frontcourt of Johnson, Lendeborg, and Mara worked in large part because Johnson was comfortable guarding in space and taking on matchups of all shapes and sizes.
Johnson’s offensive package isn’t as versatile as his defensive one, but he knows his strengths and sticks to them. He’s a hyper-efficient interior play finisher who gets most of his points as a roller and a dunker spot man. In 2025-26, he shot 62.3% from the floor, converting 65.8% of his 7.0 two-point attempts per game. He can’t be classified as a scoring threat, but he did average 13.1 points for a team that won the national championship, showcasing his ability to fit in the flow of the offense and chip in, even if he’s not a featured creator.
There aren’t many serious limiting factors to Johnson’s game, other than the fact that he’s a bit of a tweener on offense. Despite what his imposing frame suggests, he’s not a true center, but he doesn’t profile as a modern power forward either, mainly because he’s not a shooter. Some scouts are optimistic about his outside shot, though, and he did make 34.3% of his 0.9 three-point attempts per game last season. His shot isn’t completely dysfunctional.
There are real parallels between Johnson and prospect/early-career Bam Adebayo. Adebayo has added a ton of skill to his offensive game over time (the guy dropped 83 freaking points, after all), but when he came into the league, he was an energy combo big who scrapped for his baskets and did damage on defense. Johnson likely won’t become a 20-PPG scorer or a face-up playmaker like current Bam, but he can still follow in the footsteps of the Miami All-Star to some degree.
Johnson could be worthy of consideration for the Bucks at 10, depending on how the board falls into place. What are your thoughts on him? Leave them in the comments below, and don’t forget to vote on the next poll!