The Dallas Mavericks’ Summer League buzz got a jump-start on Monday, when the team held its first practice in Dallas and social media delivered an early look at the rookie duo of Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea.
The clip making the rounds showed De Larrea sizing up his defender from the perimeter with a string of hesitation dribbles before firing a pass to Johnson on the wing. Johnson, the No. 9 overall pick, drilled the 3-pointer, and the two rookies celebrated with a high-five. In less than 24 hours, the video had piled up nearly half a million views.
That kind of attention has only amplified the intrigue around the pairing. Johnson didn’t arrive in the league with a reputation as a perimeter shooter after last season at Michigan, but his smooth-looking stroke and his comfort level with college coach Dusty May could help him settle in quickly. May is now back in the mix with Johnson, and the forward said that familiarity matters.
"I think I do have an advantage compared to other guys that’s just getting here this week, because I’m very familiar with it, I know what it is and I know what [May] wants out of it," Johnson said about his relationship with the new coach.
"[I’m] just getting a feel for all my teammates, the people I’m playing with in the summer league, and helping them learn the concepts that Dusty’s putting in and helping those guys and make it easy for them.
"I’m not overwhelmed at all. It’s pretty simple. [May] just wants us to make reads and react off each other."
Johnson’s game has long been built on energy and force. At 6-9, he was an athletic problem in college, creating havoc on both ends and running the floor as a big-bodied transition threat. Those traits are expected to mesh well alongside reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg as Dallas looks at a young core to build around.
On the defensive end, Johnson says that’s still his calling card.
"I think I have to bring that to play my best," the self-proclaimed "junkyard dog" Johnson said about his skills on defense. "So, I’m definitely going to be playing the same."
De Larrea, meanwhile, has barely had time to unpack since arriving in the United States. He was already in town for Spain’s win over Portugal in the FIFA World Cup at AT&T Stadium, and he’s wasting no time showing why Dallas is excited about what he can add to the backcourt.
"I think I’m NBA ready," he said. "I think I can impact the game."
The Spanish guard has already drawn comparisons from fans to a familiar European star, and not just because of where he’s from. De Larrea said Luka Doncic was the player who first caught his attention when Doncic made the jump from Real Madrid to Dallas.
"I saw Luka when he came from [Real] Madrid to here," De Larrea said. "He was, for me, like my idol in my younger era. For that reason, I was a Maverick a long time ago, and right now I'm still being a Maverick."
That admiration is part of why the online reaction has taken off. Fans have been quick to notice the stylistic overlap between the two Europeans, and if Dallas can get anything close to Doncic-level production from De Larrea, the organization will have something real to work with.
May sees plenty to like in the rookie guard’s game.
"He's able to score the ball, he can pressure the other team, he can facilitate. He can do a little bit of everything," May said to CBS Sports about De Larrea. "He has a high, high ceiling."
May also said he heard from someone with direct overseas experience with De Larrea.
"I had a friend who played with him overseas the year before this reach out and thought he was the steal of the draft."
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