AJ Dybantsa has spent the entirety of his teenage years labeled as a can’t-miss future NBA draft prospect.
But in less than 24 hours, the 19-year-old phenom will lose that “prospect” label for good, graduating to the shinier, more elite status of NBA lottery pick — and perhaps even the No. 1 overall selection.
Tuesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Dybantsa will surely hear his name called early in the first round of the NBA’s annual draft. He’ll emerge from the green room to the sound of boisterous fanfare, donning the hat of his new team and joining league commissioner Adam Silver on stage for a photo opportunity that will immediately symbolize hope for the city soon receiving his basketball services.
To stand on the draft stage is what has motivated every aspect of Dybantsa’s life since he decided in first grade that he’d grow up to be a basketball player.
It’s why he began locking in on hoops harder than ever before during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s why the Massachusetts native took leaps of faith to move out to California and then Utah for new high school opportunities.
It’s why he chose to play for Kevin Young at BYU rather than hitch his wagon to the star of a true college basketball blue blood.
Every move has been calculated with a path to NBA stardom in mind. Stephen R. Covey of “7 Habits” fame would be proud.
Dybantsa isn’t one to beat around the bush. He oozes confidence in each of his dozens of podcast interviews over the past few months, claiming to be the best player in a loaded draft class with all the firm certainty of someone who believes the sun will rise tomorrow.
For all his talking, however, Dybantsa has done a great deal of walking. His freshman campaign at BYU featured a display of basketball mastery rarely seen in Provo, leading the nation with 25.5 points scored per game while adding averages of 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals as well. He made 51% of his shot attempts and proved prolific at getting to the free throw line — a skill more valuable in today’s NBA than ever before.
Even with all of the gargantuan expectations and pressure that came with being a recruit of his caliber — and as part of a BYU program often viewed nationally as being somewhat obscure — Dybantsa aced every test, shattering longstanding Cougar records and becoming the school’s third-ever first team All-American alongside the likes of Danny Ainge and Jimmer Fredette. Maybe you’ve heard of them.
Injuries and other complications to his teammates prevented him from playing in more than a single NCAA tournament contest, but make no mistake — the Dybantsa experience at BYU was electric, unforgettable and a legitimate success, especially considering how his NBA future could benefit the prestige of Young’s operation.
It’s unfair to pin the Cougars’ collective shortcomings on Dybantsa or call his “return on investment” underwhelming or disappointing. If Dybantsa approaches the professional ceiling many analysts believe him to possess, BYU will feel the ripple effects of his decision to play there for decades to come.
The Washington Wizards hold the first pick in Tuesday’s draft, and the majority of experts believe they will use it to select Dybantsa. Should Washington zag and take someone else, Dybantsa could remain in Utah to play for the Jazz at No. 2.
If Dybantsa lands with the Wizards, he’ll be viewed as the centerpiece to an elaborate rebuild for an organization starved for success. Not since 1979 — before the Jazz even arrived in Utah — has Washington won 50 games in a season or reached as far as the conference finals, and no player with his number retired by the team has played in D.C. since 1981.
In fact, the last time the Wizards had a first team All-NBA selection, the team was still called the Bullets. Only two players to wear “Wizards” on their chest have even garnered an All-NBA second team nod, although Dybantsa would play with multi-time All-Stars in Anthony Davis and Trae Young with Washington.
Decades of Wizards futility will have led to Dybantsa as the solution. The pressure will be immense, but so too will be the opportunity for superstardom in the seemingly wide-open Eastern Conference and in a major media market that’s obsessed with basketball.
Based on everything that’s been observed of Dybantsa during his year in Provo, he’ll embrace the chance to chase unprecedented heights in Washington.
“Dybantsa just has too much potential to become the kind of star the Wizards haven’t had around here since Chris Webber’s brief tenure in D.C.,” wrote David Aldridge of The Athletic.
“He’s a dynamic young big man with the talent and charisma to make the city remember that it’s a basketball town first, before everything else ... it’s hard to construct a scenario where Washington passes on his potential.”
The Jazz, meanwhile, have historically enjoyed much more consistent success than the Bullets or Wizards, but have bottomed out in recent years and now hope to be able to draft a player of Dybantsa’s caliber.
The fanbase, which includes plenty of BYU supporters, would be overjoyed to keep a local high school and college product in the Beehive State, especially in trying to help Lauri Markkanen, Ace Bailey and company slay the Western Conference dragons from Oklahoma City and San Antonio in search of Utah’s first NBA title.
Let’s be frank. The average NBA fan best knows the Jazz for allowing Michael Jordan to win his fifth and sixth championships. Dybantsa could be the kind of player who gives the franchise a whole new identity, similar to what Giannis Antetokounmpo has done in Milwaukee or Nikola Jokic in Denver.
Of course, wherever Dybantsa goes, he’s far from a finished product. He openly admits that his defense needs work, and pundits have pointed to his 3-point shooting as another area for improvement. Winning at a high level likely won’t come in Year 1 with Washington, Utah or whoever drafts him. At 19 years old, there’s still a long forthcoming process for becoming who he truly wants to be.
But Tuesday night on that draft stage in Brooklyn, everything will be possible for Dybantsa. No matter what happens going forward, hearing his name called will be the pinnacle of a long, strenuous road to get there.
And the road ahead should be even more exciting.
