3 Overreactions From Morez Johnson's NBA Summer League Debut as Mavs Lose to Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks tipped off their 2026 NBA Summer League on Thursday evening against the Golden State Warriors, giving a battle of two Michigan Wolverines national champions: Morez Johnson Jr. vs Yaxel Lendeborg. And there's nothing like overreacting to Summer League action.

Golden State led by nearly 24 points, but the Mavericks nearly came all the way back, cutting the lead to three in the fourth quarter. In the end, the Warriors would go on to win 101-90.

This was a great chance to see the Mavericks' plan for their rookies, and they had a lot of draft picks in this game: Johnson, Sergio De Larrea, Tobi Lawal, and Vsevolod Ishchenko. What did we make of their debuts?

Jun 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Morez Johnson Jr, the Dallas Mavericks first-round pick in the 2026 NBA draft answers questions from the media during an introductory press conference at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Morez Johnson... Small-Ball Center?

Morez Johnson is athletic and versatile enough to defend a lot of positions, but his fit on offense is where the questions have persisted since the Mavericks took him 9th overall.

Johnson finished this game with 27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, shooting 12/17 from the floor and 1/4 from three. His shooting looks questionable; the form looks great up top, but this footwork just isn't natural yet.

However, Johnson was cooking down low, using his high motor to constantly get open. Arguably, his most impressive offensive play came when he got that ball about 15-feet away from the basket on the right side, attacked the defender, spun middle, and hit a fadeaway. Still, this profiles him more as a small center than a power forward, and he spent most of this game at center.

Overall, it was as impressive a Summer League debut as you'll see.

Larry to Rez OOP AND1! pic.twitter.com/tvIpwMwSEs
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) July 10, 2026

Learning Curve for Sergio De Larrea

It wasn't the cleanest game for Sergio De Larrea, the 25th pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, as he finished with 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, but he shot just 3/14 from the floor and 1/9 from three.

It was always going to be a learning curve for De Larrea, and he's coming off a long season with Valencia, but you'd like a better shooting performance. The good news is that he didn't turn it over that much, which was a concern from him entering the NBA. He even had a nice lob to Johnson, but the scoring will need to improve.

Vsevolod Ishchenko Is a Real Player

There was no bigger mystery in the 2026 NBA Draft than Vsevolod Ishchenko, a 6'6" Russian wing whom the Mavs selected 56th overall. He played against lower competition in Russia and didn't have the best production, so everyone was curious to see what he could look like.

And, honestly, it was a solid debut, as Ishchenko finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal. There's going to be a learning curve for him, too, but he found himself around the ball often. The Mavs should be happy with his performance.

Add us as a preferred source on Google