The moment the Washington Wizards landed the No. 1 overall pick, the team's fanbase immediately found a reason to believe that after years of struggling, the constant cycle of mediocrity may finally be approaching an end.
Landing the top pick all but confirmed that AJ Dybantsa would be a Wizard, and after his dominant freshman season at BYU, leading the nation in scoring with 25.5 points per game, it felt like a no-brainer for Washington to secure their future cornerstone atop the draft.
Obviously, reports have already surfaced about the Wizards' flirting with a trade down, but in reality, there's no scenario in which the struggling franchise will deprive their fanbase of a top pick unless they're absolutely blown away by an offer.
All that to say, Dybantsa to the DMV feels very real, even with basketball minds like Bill Simmons attempting to rain on the team's parade.
Bill Simmons highlights AJ Dybantsa's reaction to Wizards earning No. 1
On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, the NBA mind said the quiet part out loud regarding the reaction from the projected top pick when Washington earned the rights to No. 1 overall.
After suiting up for the Cougars in the Big 12 this season, it's easy to feel like Dybantsa prepared himself to stay in Utah with the hopes he'd be transitioning from Provo to Salt Lake City and the Jazz.
However, when things didn't unfold in that order, it felt like reality hit, and that's what Simmons alluded to:
"So I think in his mind, when he got to the final four, he's thinking, all right, Adam Silver, he cooked the books for me, " Simmons said. "I'm going to be a happy camper. This is going to be great. And then No. 2 two popped up, you could just see it. He was like 'oh wow, this is real.'"
At the same time, though, disappointment that he couldn't remain in a place he's called home for the last few months doesn't mean he won't embrace the move to Washington.
Dybantsa could easily adopt Washington
From Boston, Massachusetts, there's no doubt that Dybantsa already has tied to the East Coast.
Obviously, D.C. isn't exactly Boston, and it's nowhere near Utah, but it's the perfect opportunity for Dybantsa to step into an organization closer to his hometown and immediately become a franchise player for an organization whose timeline closely aligns with his.
Dybantsa's reaction went viral, but it doesn't mean his thoughts about the Wizards earning the top pick were bad.
In fact, it went viral for the wrong reasons. Dybantsa probably wanted to stay in Utah if he had the choice, and who wouldn't? He's built a foundation there with friends and a community that supports him.
The good news is he'll easily build that same foundation in Washington, even with the Boston Celtics' fanbase quietly plotting a way for the star forward to slide up the East Coast at some point in his future.
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