AJ Dybantsa’s NBA debut was delayed, but it was well worth the wait.
The top pick in the 2026 draft missed the Wizards’ first four games of the season as he recovered from an ankle injury. In what was a loaded draft class where Dybantsa was in the first tier of a coveted group of prospects alongside Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer, Washington committed to the flashy wing out of BYU. And Dybantsa showed why the front office went with him in his first opportunity.
In his debut Wednesday night against the Cavaliers, he dropped 19 points in an efficient 8-for-12 night from the field. He got the start alongside Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George as the Wizards got out in front early, but they ultimately got cold in the fourth quarter and lost 121–111.
A disappointing loss, no doubt, but Dybantsa showcased everything that Wizards fans wanted to see. And it’s only the start. His first NBA bucket came on a lob from Young who was beyond the half-court line and hit Dybantsa in the perfect spot at the rim.
Dybantsa scored nine points in his first six minutes of play without missing a shot, which was the most first-quarter points by a Wizards rookie in their debut since 1997–98 according to ESPN. He showcased the ability to create his own shot, get creative and score at all three levels. Plus, he has moves like this in his bag:
He shot just two free throws, which will grow as he gets more comfortable over time. Dybantsa got to the rim, but he admitted he has work to do to add more to his game and get around the increased level of competition.
“These guys are trees,” he said after the loss. “I’ve always been kind of the biggest guy. But you get here, these guys are 7 feet. So [I just need] to try to add a little floater to my bag or try to add a middy to my bag so every time I can’t get all the way to the paint, I have another solution to score.”
The top pick’s arrival comes at an interesting time for the Wizards. Last season, Washington traded for Young and Davis which added two All-Stars around its young core of Sarr, George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly. There were some concerns about how much offensive opportunity Dybantsa would get next to Young and Davis, but his first game showed there’s still plenty of room for him to run free.
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Despite the big trades last season, Young played just five games with Washington and Davis didn’t make his debut with the team until this season. Young received a massive four-year, $212.8 million contract to remain with the Wizards over the offseason as the team’s long-term point guard. The Dybantsa pick provided even more juice to the new-look team.
A concern, though, was that Dybantsa always assumed the majority of ballhandling responsibilities prior to the NBA, which doesn’t really work when you have Young conducting the offense. Young takes a lot of shots, too, and when you combine his volume with Davis’s, that’s a lot of opportunity that could get taken from Dybantsa in theory. On Wednesday, any worry was minimized.
Young had an off night shooting wise, but he made plays for his teammates as he always does. Dybantsa led the team in scoring with 19 points in 26 minutes along with 18 apiece from Davis and Sarr. Coulibaly also added 17 points off the bench. George created offense with 11 assists, which the Wizards won’t get out of him every game.
With Davis and Young, health is a concern. No team remains 100% healthy over the course of a long season, which we’ve already seenwith a slew of injuries across the league to start the season. Even if the two stars remain healthy after they missed considerable time last season, there’s plenty of room for Dybantsa in this offense as was showcased on Wednesday night. The presence of Young and Davis should even make Dybantsa’s NBA transition easier with less defensive pressure directed his way.
Washington could be frisky and hover around play-in territory, even in a stacked Eastern Conference. Dybantsa’s development is the biggest priority for this Wizards team, though. Even with a loss to a good Cavs team right out of the gate, the top pick proved he can make an immediate impact and has true superstar potential.
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