If you know who David Aldridge is, you’re well aware that he knows his basketball.
The longtime journalist — and member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame — has been around the sport for decades, covering some of the best players and teams to ever grace the hardwood.
It’s this expansive background of basketball greatness that makes Aldridge’s thoughts on AJ Dybantsa all the more intriguing.
Now a columnist for The Athletic covering the happenings of his hometown of Washington, D.C., Aldridge has been in Las Vegas to cover Dybantsa’s initial Summer League appearances with the Wizards over the past few days.
Long story short — DA is quite impressed with AJ.
“Thomas & Mack Center saw the latest iteration of ‘Who’s Next’ in the NBA on Thursday,” Aldridge wrote in The Athletic after Dybantsa’s Summer League debut.
“For the first time in almost a generation, the Washington Wizards had the guy at the forefront of the debate. AJ Dybantsa’s first night in a Wizards uniform produced electricity that hasn’t been seen in a Washington player or in a Washington game in a good, good long while."
Playing against the Utah Jazz and his longtime rival Darryn Peterson, Dybantsa poured in 27 points with seven rebounds, two assists and a number of notable highlights that went viral online.
Some of his most prominent traits at BYU, such as getting to the free-throw line and earning solid midrange looks, were on full display Thursday, and they continued again in his second Summer League outing this past Sunday as Dybantsa scored 23 points with another seven boards and two more assists.
“Dybantsa is years from being the best he will be, but you didn’t have to squint to see what’s possible,” wrote Aldridge after his debut. “It was there, right in front of you.”
Aldridge isn’t alone in his raving about Dybantsa. His Athletic colleague, Wizards beat writer Josh Robbins, has also offered encouraging dispatches from Las Vegas regarding Washington’s new franchise cornerstone, especially in terms of his defensive potential.
Sunday against the Sacramento Kings, Dybantsa blocked a pair of shots, swiped three steals and didn’t commit a single foul, with his defensive effort flashing the upside he possesses on that end of the floor.
“His potential, though, is undeniable,” Robbins wrote after Sunday’s performance. “... Dybantsa can develop into the top-tier two-way player the Wizards have longed for.”
Across his pair of Summer League contests, Dybantsa has averaged 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 40% from the floor.
