On Tuesday, Wizards Head Coach Brian Keefe announced that No. 1 overall pick and face of the franchise, AJ Dybantsa, will miss the season opener on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks after rolling his ankle in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans last Friday.
Deservedly so, this can be a bit of a letdown to a fanbase that sat through a combined 35-129 record the past two seasons to be able to snag a player of the caliber of Dybantsa, but for those disappointed and thinking the Wizards got you interested just to let you down again, let me reassure you that this is not the case here.
From Dybantsa shooting at practice on Monday to him being listed as day-to-day while nursing the ankle injury, Wiz fans should rest assured that the hype is real and that all signs point to this still being an awesome season for both him and the team as a whole.
Even without AJ Dybantsa, Wizards fans have reason to be hyped
Unlike past seasons, this Wizards team isn’t built around one guy.
Whether it's a member of the NBA 75 team who looked dominant in the preseason, Anthony Davis, or one of the most flashy players in the league, four-time All-Star Trae Young, the new Washington Wizards are rightfully not built around one or even two players to garner attention and hopefully success.
The trio of Dybantsa, Davis, and Young doesn’t even include players like third-year guys Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr, sophomores Will Riley and Tre Johnson, and veterans on the team, Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton, that fans are excited to see contribute to a team aiming to compete for the first time in a long time.
Former three-time All-Star and NBA champion Khris Middleton said this about Dybantsa after Tuesday's practice, and it should be music to the ears of Wizards fans everywhere.
“It’s tough. He’s [AJ Dybantsa] gonna miss his rookie debut. He’s sick about it, but I know he’s working, but we have a lot of talent and a lot of guys ready to step up. We just hope AJ is ready to get back out there soon.”
This organization has not earned much trust from even its most die-hard supporters. Still, the talent on this team, combined with the firepower in Dybantsa that is returning imminently, reads like a group ready to take off and knows it has the pieces to do it.
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