AJ Dybantsa Is Giving Wizards Fans Something to Believe In
Two games in, and AJ Dybantsa has already answered the only question that mattered this summer: can the kid actually hoop?
ALEXANDRIA, VA – Turns out, yes.
The Debut That Lived Up to the Hype
July 9, Utah Jazz, Thomas & Mack Center, the No. 1 pick against the No. 2 pick, Darryn Peterson. Every eye in the building was on this one.
Dybantsa didn’t ease into it. He went for 27 points on 7-for-18 shooting, grabbed seven boards, dished two assists, and came up with two steals and a block, all in 26 minutes.
Nineteen of those points came before the half, part of the push that put the Washington Wizards up 54-37 at the break. The Wizards survived a late Jazz push and won it, 92-88.
Dybantsa didn’t finish the game, some leg soreness sent him to the bench early, but he’d already said what he needed to say.
Folks around the league are already calling it the most anticipated Wizards debut since John Wall showed up in 2010. Make of that what you will.
Backing It Up Against Sacramento
Three days off, then he did it again. This time against the Kings, on July 12: 23 points, seven rebounds, and a 104-85 win that kept Washington undefeated in Vegas.
The jumper wasn’t there, 1-for-11 from deep across his two games now, and afterward he owned up to it, saying the heat and the minutes were starting to add up.
But the game showed something else. He was pressuring ball-handlers full court, jumping passing lanes, and at one point found himself switched onto Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud, all 7-foot-1 of him.
He walked away with three steals and two blocks, and he’s already talking about wanting to be an All-Defensive guy someday.
There was another storyline from that night. Trae Young and a handful of Dybantsa’s Wizards teammates made the trip out to Vegas just to watch him play.
Somebody asked him about it afterward, and his answer stuck: “It just shows that the culture is shifting in D.C.”
What’s Next
Washington heads back out July 14 to face the Chicago Bulls, who’ll roll out No. 3 pick Caleb Wilson.
Another top-five matchup, another game worth clearing your schedule for.
A Fan Base Ready to Believe Again
D.C. has sat through a lot of bad basketball. So it’s not surprising two Summer League wins have people this worked up.
Dybantsa is the new face of the rebuild, and he’s not walking into it alone, Trae Young re-upped for four years right before Summer League even started.
Add Tre Johnson and Will Riley, both of whom look like keepers, and you’ve got the beginnings of something real.
None of this guarantees a thing once the games actually count. But for fans who’ve been starved for a reason to care come October, this is about as good a start as they could’ve asked for.
