AJ Dybantsa is getting a crash course in what comes with being the No. 1 pick, and two men who lived that life already have stepped in with advice.
The Washington Wizards rookie has only played seven games, but the early bumps are already showing. His numbers have been productive - 16.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game - yet the 27.3% mark from three has become a clear issue, even with a 43.3% clip from the field overall. For a player selected first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, every rough patch gets magnified.
That’s where Patrick Ewing and John Wall came in. Both former first-overall picks offered Dybantsa guidance through Josh Robbins of The Athletic, and Ewing’s message was all about staying steady through the swings.
"You have to stay humble, put in the work, and continue to believe in yourself. I don’t care what pick you are.
You’re going to have highs, and you’re going to have lows. You can’t get too high when things are going well, but you also cannot get too low.
The guy that we have is a special talent. To be the first pick, you are a special talent.
But you have to continue to do all the things that got you to be the No. 1 pick. Things are going to be rough at points.
Things are going to be great at points. But stay even-keeled and just keep on working and keep on believing in yourself," Ewing declared.
Ewing knows the script firsthand. In his own rookie season, he averaged 20 points but couldn’t push his field goal percentage above 47.4%. He eventually corrected that issue and then shot 50% or better for the next nine seasons.
Wall’s advice hit a different note, but the point was the same: let the game speak. He also pointed out how much the spotlight has changed.
"Everybody’s got something to say. Just let your game do the talking.
That’s kind of how I let it go. Everybody knows it’s a team in a rebuilding process, though they’re trying to win now.
So, they’re going to stick with you as long as they see you’re giving 110 percent effort. The spotlight’s a dramatic difference now.
You’ve got social media. People have camera crews.
Somebody’s following you around every day. You have NIL money.
So, it’s a lot different than what it was when I was there. There’s still pressure.
Still, somebody wants you to be great. It’s still an organization that’s taking you and looking at you to be the next face of their franchise.
So, it’s a little bit different, but it’s still the same. It’s still basketball at the end of the day, no matter what’s going on," Wall said.
Wall’s own Wizards run came with its share of pressure. It took him four seasons before he led Washington to an NBA Playoffs berth, and even after that, he stayed under the microscope for the rest of his career. He reached the postseason only four times and never won the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Dybantsa has plenty to sort through early in his career, but he doesn’t have to figure it out alone. With Ewing and Wall in his corner, the rookie has two clear voices reminding him that the noise fades if the work stays steady.
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