Add The California Post on Google The Warriors possess the No. 11 pick in this month’s NBA draft.
Who they pick with their highest selection since 2021 could hold the cards to not only the final years of Steph Curry’s career but also the future direction of the franchise.
Former Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. is on the Warriors’ NBA draft radar. Getty Images This week, we are profiling five possible prospects GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. could target.
Height/weight: 6-foot-9 / 250 pounds
The Warriors were so short on frontcourt depth at the end of last season that they signed a center to their G League team that ended the regular season playing real NBA minutes.
Charles Bassey and Golden State’s three other big men — Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Quinten Post — all have uncertain futures. Even if some combination of them returns, a player whose game and body are as developed as Johnson’s will find a way to contribute.
Johnson teamed up with Yaxel Lendeborg, another possible Warriors target, and 7-3 center Aday Mara, who could also go in the lottery, to form one of the most physically formidable front courts in the country while leading Michigan to a national championship.
Johnson’s switchability and physicality on defense may remind you of another player from around those parts. He also has the same kind of length that has helped Draymond Green — a Michigan State man — be an elite defender, with a wingspan measuring 7-3 ½.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr might be in need of some frontcourt depth, and Johnson would fit the bill. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu Why he’ll last until No. 11 Johnson is the prototypical high-floor, low-ceiling player.
He doesn’t have a 3-point shot and hasn’t tried to incorporate one. He has the physicality to get to the rim and finish through contact but isn’t considered to have many moves in his bag.
That said, Johnson knows his skill set and doesn’t waste shots, setting an Illinois record for field-goal percentage as a freshman and shooting 62.7% mostly from close range at Michigan, where he averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds while starting all 40 games.
That doesn’t mean he is always a smart decision-maker on offense: He committed more turnovers (53) than he dished out assists (48). Foul trouble has also been a problem, though his 3.7 per 40 minutes with Michigan was an improvement over his 5.6 per 40 as a freshman.
Just as he makes up his lack of height with brute force, Johnson’s defensive prowess helps overshadow his offensive shortcomings, though he’ll have to work on avoiding the whistle.
Johnson’s pure physicality means he won’t be overwhelmed by the NBA. He lacks the upside of other lottery talent but could be of immediate help for the Warriors’ defensive scheme.
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