The Washington Wizards have a simple challenge in front of them: make Trae Young useful without letting him dominate the whole operation. That’s the balancing act if they want AJ Dybantsa to become the kind of star they believe he can be.
Young is still an elite offensive engine, and Washington clearly knows it. The team paid him $212.8 million this offseason, and the idea is not to strip him of control entirely.
But the rookie has already flashed as a downhill driver, and Dybantsa needs real on-ball reps if he’s going to grow into a true superstar. For this pairing to work, Young has to make room.
That means a different version of Ice Trae. His usage rate topped 30 percent in five of his seven full seasons with the Hawks, and when he wasn’t directly involved, he often didn’t offer much.
Washington does not need him to turn into Stephen Curry sprinting around screens. What it does need is a Trae Young who can punish defenses as a spot-up shooter, stretch the floor, and create space for the rookie.
The shooting piece matters right away. Young is taking 6.9 3-pointers per game, but he’s hitting just 27.1 percent through seven games.
That’s not a one-week blip so much as part of a longer trend. Over the last three years, he’s shot 33.5 percent from deep.
He’s still a plus shooter, but the shots are hard, and the numbers show it.
The split in his shot diet says plenty. Young is taking only one catch-and-shoot three per game, while 5.6 of his attempts each night are coming off the dribble.
Easier looks should help his percentage, and they’d also help Washington get more out of Dybantsa. If Young shares the ball and the burden, he can get cleaner chances while the rookie gets the room he needs to develop.
Dybantsa has already made a strong impression since returning from the ankle injury that cost him the first four games. The 19-year-old was the best scorer in the NCAA last season, but that wasn’t the whole picture. He has looked better defensively than expected and has already made winning plays.
The Wizards see a player with the talent to be a top-five player on the planet. He’s already a plus scorer and advantage creator, and his playmaking should keep improving.
Even so, the next step is the one that matters most: becoming a true alpha. That’s the leap Washington needs if it’s going to move beyond being a fringe playoff team and into real title contention.
That’s why the fit with Young matters so much. Washington spent years tanking for a superstar, and now it finally has one.
The franchise’s wait only means something if it turns into playoff success. Young can help get them there, but he comes with clear warts, including defensive issues the Wizards have to cover for.
They know he wants the ball in his hands. That has helped the rest of the young talent, but Dybantsa is good enough that Young has to adjust.
There have already been signs the two can work together. Fans have seen Young find the number one overall pick on a couple of lobs, and those moments matter.
Washington needs more of that, not less. The next step is building a real two-man game.
Young setting screens for Dybantsa and then spacing the floor when the rookie attacks is one path. So is giving Dybantsa some possessions as the primary creator while Young stays involved in ways that don’t require him to monopolize the ball. That kind of shared responsibility is how Washington gets the most out of both players.
The Nuggets’ Jokic and Murray partnership was held up as the model, and for good reason. They bring out the best in each other. Dybantsa is not a traditional big man, but the principle still applies: the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts if the Wizards let their two best players work together.
Washington believes this can happen, and the four-year extension for Young says as much. Now it falls on him to make the adjustment.
Dybantsa needs the ball. Young needs to be effective without it.
And if the Wizards are serious about building around their rookie, this has to become Dybantsa’s team.
In Other News...
Trae Youngs New Wizards Role Gets Tested In A Game That Matters
Washington has spent the early part of the season getting encouraging signs from its primary starters, with Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa both helping set a more stable tone. Now the spotlight shifts to Trae Young, whose arrival from Atlanta was supposed to bring a different kind of value to the roster. Rather than being asked to carry everything, he is expected to settle into a part-time playmaking mentor role, a different assignment for a player long used to being the engine.
The timing makes the matchup with the Hawks especially interesting, because it puts Young in a game that carries more weight than a typical early-season meeting. For the Wizards, it is a chance to see how his experience translates in a setting that matters, while also adjusting to the ripple effects of a roster that has changed around him. There is also a broader layer to the night with other familiar names in the mix, which only adds to the sense that this one has more history attached to it than most November games. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Defense Is Giving Fans A Real Reason To Believe
The early-season conversation around Washington has shifted in a hurry, and for once it starts on the defensive end. A group that was buried by opponents a year ago has become one of the leagues more disruptive units, with veteran additions helping steady the floor and young players such as Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie and Bilal Coulibaly taking real steps forward. It is the kind of progress that changes how a team is viewed, especially for a roster still trying to build an identity.
There is also a more intriguing layer to it now, because the Wizards have found stretches where their defense looks even sharper when certain pieces are on the court together. Injuries and role changes have kept that combination from showing up as often as the team would like, but the underlying trend is hard to ignore. For a franchise that has spent so long searching for signs of traction, the defensive leap alone is enough to make the rest of the season worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Davis Is Forcing A Huge Wizards Decision Already
Anthony Davis has given the Wizards exactly what they hoped for when they brought him in, and maybe a little more. Through seven games, he has looked like the kind of difference-maker who can tilt a nightly game plan, pairing efficient scoring with steady rebounding and defensive activity while also stretching the floor at a career-best clip from three-point range.
For Washington, the on-court fit is only part of the equation now. Davis has quickly become central to the teams improved start, but the front office still has not locked in a long-term extension, leaving the Wizards with a decision that cannot wait forever. His looming player option adds another layer of pressure, and the longer this goes without clarity, the more every strong performance seems to sharpen the question of what comes next. [Read more 🡒]