On Tuesday, Morez Johnson Jr. announced he would keep his name in the NBA Draft past the deadline date, meaning that he is not returning to Michigan for a second season.
We here at Maize n Brew of course support Johnson in all his future endeavors and harbor no ill will towards him. Today, we want to discuss whether or not you think he made the right decision by electing to stay in the NBA Draft.
Johnson spent his freshman season at Illinois, appearing in 30 games and averaging 17.7 minutes per game. He tallied a modest seven points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game before hitting the transfer portal in hopes of finding a larger role, as the Illini front court was a logjam and playing time would be tough to come by.
Under Dusty May at Michigan, Johnson started all 40 games he appeared in. His usage blossomed, as Johnson averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game while being a secondary scoring option. He was an excellent free throw shooter at 78.2 percent and was ruthlessly efficient from the field, as he shot 62.3 percent.
Prior to the NCAA Tournament, most mock drafts had Johnson as either a late first-round or an early second-round pick. There was some optimism Michigan would be able to retain him for another season, but that optimism faded after Michigan’s tournament run for the ages. Johnson capped it off with a double-double in the National Championship (12 points, 10 rebounds) at a time when the Wolverines were playing with a severely limited Yaxel Lendeborg.
Even following the NCAA Tournament, Johnson was still only projected as a mid-to-late first-rounder. The beauty of NIL is that player retention has gotten somewhat easier with regards to players going pro. What players would make on the rookie scale in the NBA pales in comparison to what they could be paid to return to college depending on how high the prospect is projected to be drafted.
While Michigan has had success retaining such players in the past, this one just didn’t go Michigan’s way. Several mid-to-late first-round prospects opted to return to school, which caused Johnson to ascend up draft boards. He is now viewed as a mid-first-round pick, with Oklahoma City being a popular mock destination.
As much as Michigan fans are sad to see him go, Johnson has a legitimate argument for why now is the best time for him to enter the NBA Draft. His stock has risen exponentially, and he also plays a brand and style of basketball that relies heavily on athleticism and energy. The NBA values youth and potential over experience. I don’t expect Johnson to develop a reliable three-point jumper any time soon, and there aren’t many other attributes he could reasonably develop in one more season of college basketball.
Do you think Johnson make the right decision to remain in the draft? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section below.
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