Normally, your first game, whether preseason or regular season, at “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden, as the No. 1 overall pick in a hyped draft class, would be enough weight on one's shoulders.
Add in the fact that this was the first time the New York Knicks had played there since going up 3-1 to the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Finals they would end up winning, and this environment would make even the most confident players crumble. But not Washington Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa.
From the swagger, the apparent willingness to understand his role already within the offense, and his tenacity on the defensive end for someone so young, the standout from BYU is making it known that he’s not afraid of the league coming after him. Rather, he’s ready to come after the league.
AJ Dybanta's offensive game was more than meets the eye
Scoring 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting in a close 111-109 victory over the Knicks can look a bit pedestrian for a player who led the NCAA in scoring as a freshman. That’s only if you don’t dig deeper into those numbers.
Being guarded by All-Defensive wing OG Anunoby at all, much less in your first game, is no small task. Dybantsa took it head-on, showcasing the slashing abilities, along with the first-step quickness, that made him the selection for the Wizards at No. 1 overall.
Aj Dybantsa just breeze past OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson 🤯 pic.twitter.com/vO8suzYbDw
— Hoops Den 🏀 (@hoopsden1) October 9, 2026
In Friday’s presser after practice, Dybantsa said: “Try to score; it doesn’t matter who it is; one of the better defenders, still trying to get a bucket.” This is the mindset that will make the 19-year-old flourish in the league because it’s how he’s gotten to where he is now: not being intimidated or afraid of a matchup or player, but instead having a goal of getting a bucket regardless.
He went on to say, when asked about how he’s fitting into his new role as the third option behind All-Stars like Anthony Davis and Trae Young a season after leading the NCAA in scoring, that “It makes life easier. I don’t have to take a thousand dribbles to score.” So despite his unrelenting mindset of going to get his no matter who’s in front of him, Dybantsa’s willingness to play more of a backseat role should be very endearing to both Wizards coaches and fans, and shows the maturity he has so early in his career.
Dybantsa’s ability to defend will be a cheat code for the Wizards
Defending is normally not something that comes easy to rookies playing against grown men for the first time in the NBA, but if the first game is anything to go off of for the rest of the season, Dybantsa won’t be the norm here.
Coming up with a game-high four steals, the BYU standout showed his versatility on both ends from the opening tip.
Dybantsa admitted he slacked off at times on the defensive end in college when asked, saying: “Me just being lazy in college, but definitely capable of the defensive impact. I’m at the highest level now, so why not play hard on the defensive end?” And play hard he did, being a pesky defender for Anunoby, including showing strength that is not usual for someone so young when OG tried to back him down, and his ability to slide his feet smoothly as well.
Needless to say, Dybantsa is just getting started in making this league his in more ways than just by putting up points.
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