As AJ Dybantsa attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals Monday night in New York City, he saw something more than just the Spurs beating the Knicks.
He saw an opportunity for himself.
After having previously not won a playoff series since 2017, the Spurs now find themselves three wins away from a championship, largely thanks to their third-year phenom Victor Wembanyama.
“(Having playoff success) won’t take that long, especially with my adaptability and my work ethic. I think that will be, I’m not going to say easy, but pretty similar to what (the Spurs) do in terms of the forecast.”
— former BYU star AJ Dybantsa
The 7-foot-4 center known as “Wemby” has dominated in his first taste of the postseason, averaging 24.1 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 50% from the field and 36% from 3-point range.
Just three years ago, Wembanyama was drafted No. 1 overall by the Spurs. This year’s NBA draft is now just 14 days away, with Dybantsa widely projected to be the top selection.
Dybantsa has observed Wembanyama’s efforts in elevating the Spurs from mediocrity to title contention, and he believes he can make similar magic happen when he reaches the NBA.
“(Having playoff success) won’t take that long, especially with my adaptability and my work ethic,” Dybantsa told Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press. “I think that will be, I’m not going to say easy, but pretty similar to what (the Spurs) do in terms of the forecast.”
While historically one of the NBA’s strongest franchises, the Spurs had endured six consecutive losing seasons prior to this current campaign. Wembanyama’s heroics have been joined by a number of other rising talents, including rookie Dylan Harper and former No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle.
Should the Washington Wizards take Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick, the BYU star’s path to playoff glory will be a bit more complicated, at least from a historical standpoint.
Washington hasn’t had a winning season since 2018, nor has it won at least 50 games since 1979. The Wizards currently boast the longest conference finals drought of any American sports team (47 years) and just led the NBA in losses.
But better days appear to be on the horizon in D.C., as recent first-rounders Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Will Riley and Kyshawn George have all shown promising flashes in Washington.
Additionally, the Wizards have traded for future Hall of Famer Anthony Davis and four-time All-Star Trae Young, giving their young core — and potentially Dybantsa — two veteran pillars to lean on and learn from.
“Learning from two All-Stars in my rookie year would be super exciting,” Dybantsa recently told Boston sports anchor Ari Alexander regarding the idea of being teammates with Davis and Young in Washington. “Just gathering that knowledge would be helpful for me.”
As a freshman at BYU, Dybantsa led the nation in scoring with a mark of 25.5 points per game, making 51% of his field goals and posting averages of 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists to earn First Team All-America honors.
While BYU fell to Texas in the NCAA Tournament’s first round, Dybantsa dazzled to the tune of 35 points and 10 rebounds in his brief stay at the Big Dance.
“I think my ability to get in the paint and dish out to my teammates, as well as creating for myself (will translate to the NBA),” Dybantsa said. “So I think I’m just a natural playmaker, meshing myself with others.”
