Washington Wizards No. 1 draft pick AJ Dybantsa’s NBA summer league debut was short-lived—just two games.
The Wizards shut down Dybantsa for the summer, which means the former BYU star won’t see official action until the preseason in October. That works OK for both parties and isn’t unusual for top draft picks.
Dybantsa impressed with 27 points in his first game and 23 in his second. The Wizards can protect Dybantsa’s health ahead of his rookie season, as he showed that he can rise above the rest of the competition in the summer league.
Dybantsa has left no doubt that he is poised for a monster rookie year. He’s one of the most highly anticipated top draft picks in years, and Dybantsa is willing to compare himself to another former high lottery pick—the late Len Bias.
“So just move into that middie and raise up at 6-foot-9, I think is very helpful for me,” Dybantsa added. “So I started watching [Bias’s] film probably a couple months ago. I pulled it up on TikTok and I seen him, I was like ‘I don’t know who this is.’ But they said he was supposed to be better than Michael Jordan.”
Bias was considered a dominant player at Maryland, and he became the No. 2 pick for the Boston Celtics in 1986. Just two days later, he died of cardiac arrhythmia induced by a cocaine overdose.
Dybantsa impressed all season in his freshman year at BYU with 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 35 games. He couldn’t get the Cougars past the first round of the NCAA tournament in a loss to Texas, but his prowess and potential as a No. 1 lottery pick were undeniable.
For Dybantsa, rising above his hoops peers is nothing new. He’s been doing it since late middle school in Brockton, Massachusetts.
“I kind of noticed in eighth grade,” Dybantsa said during his Wizards introductory press conference in June. “I reclassed and played varsity in the eighth grade, which is super rare. For the first time in school history, they added yellow tape for floor seats in our gym. I was like ‘OK, this is kind of crazy.’”
Dybantsa played for Saint Sebastian’s in his prep debut, after which his young career only grew.
“They’re not supposed to be selling tickets at a normal high school,” Dybantsa added. “They were selling tickets outside for commission. It was kind of crazy. And when I really realized it is when I played at TD Garden, just coming back home and playing in Boston. I looked up and saw all the suites were filled and everything ... people filled out [the Celtics’ arena].”
Dybantsa went on to play at Prolific Prep and Utah Prep to finish his high school career. That led to staying in Utah for BYU, though NCAA blue bloods lined up to recruit Dybantsa left and right.
Washington couldn’t take a chance on a Dybantsa injury this summer, so the Wizards are doing what many other teams have done with lottery picks in the past. For Dybantsa, he wants to do more than fill the Capital One Arena all season.
“I’ve been trying to embrace the challenge my whole life. Nothing comes easy and I want to be a piece of the puzzle that is part of the rebuild,” Dybantsa said. “Obviously, Wizards fans have been waiting for a long time. We’re trying to make the playoffs, but … we don’t just want to make the playoffs, we want to go far in the playoffs.”
