The Washington Wizards’ new season will start without the player fans are most eager to see.
No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa has been ruled out for Wednesday night’s opener against the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Brian Keefe said. Dybantsa is dealing with an ankle injury and is considered day-to-day, so the absence doesn’t sound like a long one - but it does mean Washington’s first look at its franchise centerpiece will have to wait.
Dybantsa picked up the injury in the Wizards’ final preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans last Friday. After taking a jump shot, he rolled the ankle, then hobbled off the floor before going to the locker room. It was the kind of awkward, late-preseason miscue teams hate to see when the regular season is right around the corner.
The timing is especially frustrating because Washington had hoped he might be ready for the opener. Instead, the turnaround proved too tight for what appears to be a potential ankle sprain. The good news for the Wizards is that the injury does not appear to be serious.
Dybantsa comes into the league with a strong durability résumé from his lone college season at BYU, where he played 35 games for the Cougars. Now the focus shifts to recovery, not debut hype.
And with Washington facing three games in four days this week - Wednesday against Milwaukee, then Friday night versus the Toronto Raptors and Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls - there’s little reason to push him back before he’s ready. The Wizards are off Thursday, but they’ll likely be cautious with their top pick early on.
In Other News...
Wizards Fans Still Have One Frustrating Wait With AJ Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsas arrival in Washington has already had to take a detour, with the Wizards No. 1 draft pick sidelined after an ankle injury in the final preseason game. The setback came at an awkward time for a franchise trying to build momentum around a top prospect, even if the team has continued to frame the injury as something that should not linger long-term.
For now, the wait is the frustrating part for Wizards fans who were hoping to see their new centerpiece right away. Dybantsa is still expected to make his NBA debut later in the season, and the buzz around him has only grown after Trae Young spoke highly of his skill and upside during the preseason. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Davis Just Changed What AJ Dybantsa Could Walk Into
Anthony Davis finally gave Washington a first look at the version of itself it has been trying to build around, and the debut came with plenty of reminders of why his presence changes everything. Against Milwaukee, Davis piled up 34 points and 12 rebounds while also filling the box score in other ways, giving the Wizards a true front-line focal point and forcing opponents to account for him every trip down the floor.
For a rookie like AJ Dybantsa, who sat out with an ankle injury and watched from the bench, that kind of gravitational pull matters. Washington has spent plenty of time searching for easier touches and cleaner spacing for its younger players, and Davis ability to command defensive attention could make Dybantsas eventual return a lot more comfortable than it would have been before this debut. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Opener Raised One Huge Question About This Teams Ceiling
The Wizards opened the season by knocking off the Bucks 128-116, a result that immediately gives this group a different kind of early-season buzz. Anthony Davis made the kind of first impression teams hope for when they bring in a centerpiece, powering Washington with 34 points and 12 rebounds in a debut that matched a franchise mark and gave the lineup a clear focal point on both ends.
Still, the performance also left one obvious question hanging over the win. Washington did enough to control the night, but the offense was choppy from deep, finishing under 30 percent from three and getting little help from key perimeter looks, which is the sort of issue that can travel from a feel-good opener into a much tougher conversation about how high this team can climb. [Read more 🡒]