AJ Johnson spent Saturday night in Frisco putting up numbers that turned heads. By Sunday morning, his head coach had taken notice.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd spoke glowingly about Johnson’s 27-point performance with the Texas Legends ahead of Sunday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and confirmed the 21-year-old would face no minutes restriction despite Sunday marking his fourth consecutive day with a game.
“I thought AJ did a really good job last night attacking and being able to put up those numbers,” Kidd said. “Trying to get him as many minutes — if it’s not with us, then in the G League. He took full advantage of that last night.”
AJ Johnson’s Performance Worth Talking About
Johnson had never set foot inside Comerica Center before Saturday night. He met Texas Legends head coach Max Hooper for the first time at morning shootaround, with no practice, no walkthrough, and no extended film session to lean on. By tip-off, he was running sets and producing at a level that left Hooper searching for superlatives.
Johnson finished with 27 points on 10-of-14 shooting, with three rebounds and three assists, shooting 2-of-4 from three and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. The performance came sandwiched between back-to-back NBA games — he played 34 minutes for Dallas against Memphis on Friday and returned to the Mavericks on Sunday — a workload Johnson embraced without hesitation.
“Just competitiveness,” Johnson said when asked what kept him going. “We love this game. Even if I feel drained after a back-to-back, as soon as I step on the court, I get energy. It’s just love for it.”
Hooper was equally effusive.
“I cannot speak more positively about that guy,” Hooper said. “Twenty-seven points on 14 shots, 50.0% from three, made all his free throws. The nature of an NBA assignment player is a guy can come down and just shoot a bunch of balls and then return to the Mavs — no harm, no foul. He didn’t do that. He played ball. He played the right way.”
Jason Kidd Places No Restrictions on AJ Johnson
When asked whether Johnson would face a minutes limit given the workload he has been carrying, Kidd dismissed the idea quickly.
“I don’t think so,” Kidd said. “He’s too young. I don’t see restrictions here.”
It is a notable vote of confidence for a player who averaged just 3.6 points in 9.3 minutes across his seven appearances with Dallas prior to Saturday night. Johnson has been working his way into the rotation since arriving via the Feb. 5 trade that sent Anthony Davis to Washington, and the G League assignment was designed to give him the extended run he has not been getting at the NBA level.
It worked. Over his seven games with the Mavericks, Johnson shot 33.3% from the field and 18.2% from three. Saturday night, with the green light to be aggressive, he shot 71.4% from the field.
Jason Kidd on AJ Johnson’s Development With Dallas Mavericks
Kidd has been consistent in his belief that Johnson is putting in the work to grow as a player. Before Friday’s game against Memphis, when asked what the young guard needs to do to establish himself at the NBA level, Kidd pushed back on the premise entirely.
“He’s doing it,” Kidd said. “He’s working on his game. He’s being patient and understanding it doesn’t happen overnight. His attitude has been great since we’ve had him. He’s taken full advantage of his time on the floor. I think it’s just competing. He did that in Minnesota, he did that last night, and he’ll have the opportunity to do that again tonight.”
Part of that development has come through the voices around him. Kidd pointed to a moment earlier this season when Johnson hit a three-pointer and came to the bench to find Klay Thompson waiting to break it down with him in real time.
“It’s always good when you can have a future Hall of Famer talk to you during the game,” Kidd said. “That’s valuable.”
For a 21-year-old still learning the pace and demands of the professional game, those moments add up.
What Sunday’s Game Against the Oklahoma City Thunder
Sunday will be Johnson’s fourth consecutive day with a game — Friday against Memphis, Saturday with the Legends in Frisco, and now Sunday against Oklahoma City. For most young players that kind of stretch would warrant caution. Kidd sees it differently.
Johnson himself has not shied away from the moment. After Saturday’s performance, he was direct about what it meant.
“It felt great,” Johnson said. “It’s a blessing every time I step on the court and am a professional. Definitely a dream come true.”
With Naji Marshall, P.J. Washington, Cooper Flagg, and several others unavailable, Johnson figures to see meaningful minutes Sunday against the defending NBA champion Thunder. After what he showed in Frisco, that opportunity could not have come at a better time.
AJ Johnson Focused on Development, Settling Into Dallas Mavericks
Johnson also credited his new teammates for making the transition easier than it might have been.
“My teammates made it easier,” he said. “They’re super cool guys, so it made adjusting to a new team a lot easier.”
When asked where his game needs to go from here, Johnson was specific about what he wants to sharpen.
“My reads off the ball screen,” Johnson said. “Getting the ball side to side, getting to the corner. Catch-and-shoots for sure. And just my reads overall.”
It is the kind of self-awareness that coaches value as much as production. Saturday’s performance showed the scoring can be there. Johnson knows the next step is refining the decision-making around it.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center. The game can be seen on MavsTV and KFAA.
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