Before playing a single regular-season game, ESPN is ready to declare AJ Dybantsa as one of the NBA’s best players.
The Washington Wizards rookie and BYU product ranked No. 78 on part one of ESPN’s top 100 players list, which was released Tuesday morning.
“Dybantsa, the Wizards’ first No. 1 pick since John Wall in 2010, led the nation in scoring, averaging 25.5 points as a BYU freshman,” wrote ESPN’s Ben Golliver.
“A dynamic forward who excels at drawing contact, Dybantsa joins a Washington roster that includes a mix of recent first-round picks plus established veteran stars, Anthony Davis and Trae Young. Where Dybantsa falls in the Wizards’ pecking order will shape his Rookie of the Year candidacy and the franchise’s hopes of snapping a five-year streak of finishing in the lottery.”
ESPN also projected Dybantsa to average 20.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season — a strong rookie output after posting 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists each night at BYU.
Additionally, Dybantsa ranked as the top rookie on ESPN’s list, ahead of Darryn Peterson (No. 83), Cameron Boozer (No. 85) and Caleb Wilson (No. 97).
No other Wizards were ranked between No. 51-100, but Dybantsa’s teammates Trae Young and Anthony Davis should each land within ESPN’s yet-to-be-released top 50.
Dybantsa will make his highly-anticipated NBA regular-season debut on Oct. 21 as Washington hosts the Milwaukee Bucks.
