It's been less than 24 hours since the Washington Wizards landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the team is already being disrespected by Stephen A. Smith.
Washington finally had some good fortune fall in their favor during Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery, when the team's trying 82-game season finally amounted to earning the top pick in the draft.
For the first time since 2010, the Wizards find themselves in the pole position with the chance to have their pick of the litter in one of the most loaded draft classes in recent memory.
In a situation Washington seemingly can't mess up, it seemed like the Wizards were finally entering a stage in their rebuild where things were unfolding exactly how the team envisioned.
However, it's hard for the team and their fanbase to be excited about what's ahead when credible NBA names are raining on their parade.
Stephen A. Smith says Wizards are horrible, feels bad for AJ Dybantsa
On Stephen A. Smith's segment during First Take on Monday, the ESPN analyst was asked how AJ Dybantsa should feel about joining the Wizards.
Instead of answering how Dybantsa should feel, the basketball mind took the time to say how he felt instead:
“I felt sorry for him," Smith said. "The Washington Wizards have lost at least 64 games over the last three years. They are a basketball abomination. The only reason we don’t take time to insult them more is because of the stench emanating out of the nation’s capital for stuff other than basketball. That’s the only reason. If it was not for that, we’d be focused on them. They are horrible.”
Hearing Smith say that about the Wizards, who are fresh off a season campaign that offered plenty of optimism, is a bit disheartening for the fanbase.
At the same time, it shouldn't come as a shock to hear Smith discredit the Wizards, especially after the camera panned to Dybantsa, seemingly looking disappointed about the draft order when it was all said and done.
Still, Washington fans shouldn't take what Smith has to say seriously because he's offered his fair share of bad takes in his career.
Dybantsa can help change the narrative for the Wizards
Part of the reason why the NBA Draft Lottery was forced to change is because good teams abused the method with tanking, which made it tough for bad teams to get better.
Looking at the Dallas Mavercks, who landed Cooper Flagg, and the San Antonio Spurs, who landed Victor Wembanyama, it's been a while since teams worthy of a top pick have landed one.
Because of that, Washington finds themselves stuck in a constant cycle of medicority and consistently being insulted by media personalities, even with how impressive the moves from Will Dawkins have been over the last couple of years.
Dybantsa landing in Washington could change that for the Wizards and prove that if rebuilding teams were granted top players more often, there would be more balance across the league, where Smith and other analysts wouldn't be able to call them an abomination.
Add us as a preferred source on Google