The Washington Wizards kept the game interesting against the Toronto Raptors, a team many see as a contender for the Eastern Conference title this season, without AJ Dybantsa. They ultimately fell short, 112-102, but there were some bright spots. Tre Johnson played really well, and going toe-to-toe with an elite team shows noticeable signs of growth.
The Wizards' notable roster flaw is their lack of ball-handlers. The Raptors are an extremely physical and aggressive defensive team, with hounds on the perimeter at every position, from Scottie Barnes to Kawhi Leonard to Jamal Shead, to name a few.
The Wizards finished with 20 turnovers and only 21 assists. It's honestly a miracle the game was as close as it was, given those numbers. Trae Young was decent against the pressure, but that's about it. This is where the rookie phenom Dybantsa, who hasn't suited up in the regular season yet due to an ankle sprain, would really help.
AJ Dybantsa being out of the lineup overtaxes other Wizards
With Dybantsa missing some time, the secondary ball handler in the starting lineup has been Kyshawn George. George is a great player. His versatility on both ends of the court is indispensable to this Wizards team, but he shouldn't be tasked with secondary point guard duties consistently.
Sure, his assist numbers last season were fairly high for a wing, but he is much more valuable as a jack-of-all-trades connective piece in a winning situation. Their loss against the Raptors was the latest example of that.
George finished with eight turnovers and only three assists. Dybantsa being back in the lineup will help take a lot of this pressure off George. Dybantsa is much more apt to handle pressure and is a creator, which would then slot George into his ideal role.
In place of Dybantsa in the starting lineup is Bilal Coulibaly. Coulibaly has done some good things at the start of this season, but teams still don't respect his shot on the perimeter, which closes up the floor for everyone else. Coulibaly is much more valuable as a high-energy piece off the bench.
Young had a solid game, although his efficiency remains a bit of an issue. 12 assists and only four turnovers is nothing to scoff at. Still, the offense is way too reliant on him to get everyone else involved. Sliding Dybantsa in balances the gravity of the lineup and puts way less pressure on anyone else.
He should be back very soon, and once he is, it shouldn't be a surprise to see this offense operating at a much higher level, with everyone playing in their ideal role instead of trying to patch it up with different pieces.
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