Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Washington Wizards selected high-scoring forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick, aiming to accelerate their rebuild.
- The front office now faces the challenge of integrating two elite creators while maintaining defensive stability with their lengthy roster.
- If key veterans stay healthy and young players continue their development trajectories, the East could see a rising contender sooner than expected.
As expected, the Washington Wizards selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick on Tuesday night. Dybantsa led college basketball in scoring as a freshman and projects as an immediate star-caliber scorer on the wing, with a special blend of explosiveness, dexterity and footwork as a driver, plus unreal shot-making ability at all three levels.
The Wizards love long, super-skilled wings and Dybantsa has the potential to put the finishing touches on a long rebuild. Washington will hope to transition to contending status next season, with Trae Young and Anthony Davis brought in to elevate what was already a deep, exciting young core. Here's where Dybantsa fits in.
Washington Wizards projected starting lineup and depth chart after drafting AJ Dybantsa
Player | Position | Bench |
|---|---|---|
Trae Young | PG | Bub Carrington |
Kyshawn George | SG | Tre Johnson |
AJ Dybantsa | SF | Will Riley |
Alex Sarr | PF | Bilal Coulibaly |
Anthony Davis | C | Tristan Vukcevic |
Look, the Wizards aren't going to win a championship next season and the decision to hand Trae Young $212 million over four years was a huge, entirely avoidable mistake. That said... this is a fun, deep roster with the chance to level up quickly in the East, even with a crowded playing field.
The health of Young and Davis will be significant swing factors, and neither appeared in more than 20 games last season. But Davis is the sort of elite rim protector who can empower Alex Sarr as a roamer and a switchable hybrid big on the defensive end. Young, meanwhile, is still an elite passer with a talent for locating teammates in advantageous positions on the floor.
How exactly Young and Dybantsa, two traditionally heliocentric creators, gel together on the floor will be a storyline. If Young is willing to take more of a backseat, that should would help. Even with the fit questions, though, Young is going to command double teams in the middle of the floor and collapse the defense, as will Dybantsa. There's a path to genuine harmony there, a push-pull relationship with two players who can create and extend advantages in different ways.
Washington has a ton of length and a very solid defensive foundation. Dybantsa was a poor defender, especially off-ball, at BYU. He spaced out way too often. But the tools and the competitive spirit are there, and the hope is that in Washington, with a less burdensome offensive role, he can invest more on that end. The sheer length and matchup fluidity of Davis, Sarr, Dybantsa, George, Coulibaly and Riley on that end of the floor should help Washington mitigate the inherent downside to Young's super-small frame.
This Wizards lineup still has a lot of growing up to do, but in theory, Davis and Young are the sort of established veterans with complementary skill sets who can speed up that process. Alex Sarr already took a significant leap in year two, improving his offensive process significantly. He could be in for an even more impressive — or more noticeable — leap in year three.
Kyshawn George also made huge strides and is the sort of dribble-pass-shoot wing that thrives in the modern NBA. He also defends with impressive range and anticipation. Will Riley was a standout rookie, much in the same mold as a wiry, creative ball-handling wing with potential as a two-way contributor as his frame fills out.
If Washington can add a few solid veteran contributors on the margins in free agency, with Dybantsa installed as their primary scoring engine on the wing, there will be a lot for Wizards fans to get excited about in the year ahead.
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