AJ Dybantsa didn’t arrive in Washington looking like a project. He arrived looking like the kind of player the Wizards could build around for a long time - and through the early stretch of his NBA career, the 19-year-old is already flashing star traits.
The No. 1 overall pick missed the first four games because of an ankle injury, but the return has been immediate. In 30.5 minutes per game, Dybantsa is putting up 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal.
He’s hitting 46.5 percent from the field, and he’s doing it without forcing the issue. That part has stood out just as much as the scoring.
For a teenager, he’s playing with unusual calm. Rather than chasing the spotlight, Dybantsa has settled into the flow of the offense and already looks comfortable in his role.
That’s not always how top picks operate this early. What’s been even more eye-opening is the defensive end, where he’s made an impact right away.
The one thing holding him back from becoming truly terrifying for defenses is the jumper. Dybantsa is shooting just 25.0 percent on 3.0 three-point attempts per game, and last season he hit only 33.1 percent from beyond the arc on the shorter NCAA line. Nobody expected him to come in as a polished long-range shooter, but that shot is the missing piece.
The rest of his game is already dangerous. He’s a downhill force, a mid-range bucket-getter, and a scorer who can punish teams when he gets into the paint.
If defenders have to respect him outside the arc, the entire floor opens up for Washington. Right now, they can still sag off and make him work for tougher looks.
That changes fast if the jumper comes around.
The Wizards also understand they don’t need Dybantsa to be something he isn’t. He is not Luka Doncic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an offensive creator. He’s more of a scorer and a potential two-way force, and Washington has already paired him with Trae Young at point guard to help feed him the ball.
That setup matters because the Wizards need to maximize what they have. Dybantsa is a hard worker, but the franchise has to put the right pieces around him and keep developing the parts of his game that can take him from very good to impossible to guard.
The goal is bigger than nightly highlights. Washington wants a roster that fits him.
The early results around the team have shown why that matters. After three years of rebuilding, the Wizards are 4-4 with Young and Anthony Davis in the mix, and they’re learning the right roles for their young players. The organization has already seen the value of veteran talent, and Dybantsa is now part of that larger puzzle.
The production suggests a ceiling well beyond ordinary rookie expectations. He’s likely to score more than 20 points per game as a rookie, and since 2012 the only players to do that have been Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell, Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg. That’s rare company, even with Zion as the lone exception in that group.
There’s more than scoring here, too. Dybantsa has already been a plus defender, and he’s doing all of this without looking sped up. That kind of poise is usually what separates good young players from the real thing.
If the jumper gets to league-average, the whole picture changes. Defenders can no longer live with him settling for difficult mid-range shots or contested finishes at the rim.
Add even a little more space, and the conversation around him shifts quickly. The Wizards are already working on that part, and if it comes together, Dybantsa has the look of a player who can climb all the way to the top tier.
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