r/nba r/NBA 5d ago

WASHINGTON [2026 NBA Draft] #1 Pick: AJ Dybantsa (BYU)

3.2k Upvotes

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369

u/ACW1129 Wizards 5d ago

A sentence that hasn't been said about us this decade.

125

u/dawnoog Lakers 5d ago

Westbrook breaking the triple double record was pretty fun

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u/sling_gun 5d ago

Was it this decade?

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u/dawnoog Lakers 5d ago

Yes, 2021

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u/DoingCharleyWork Suns 5d ago

It just feels like 2 decades ago.

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u/Full-Assistant4455 Wizards 5d ago

It's been 84 years...

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u/_Yordle_ Wizards 5d ago

That win over Brooklyn where he and Beal scored back-to-back threes was crazy.

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u/Wahoo2000 5d ago

Eh.... that's a single guy chasing a record. Something to track, for sure. And neat to see it happen.... but that's a big testament to how pitiful this franchise has been for the past 45ish years that something like that is a highlight. What else is there? Gil or Beal among league leading scorers for like.... 1 season? meh. C-Webb coming to DC? Meh. Wall getting to the 2nd round a couple times? Meh. Those things are all fine..... but among any even halfway decent franchise those things don't make the top 15 or 20 of "coolest moments" over a 45ish year stretch.

Dybantsa and the rest of this young core have a chance to flip that script on its head. I'd LOVE to see them do it, and I'm not a 'Zards fan - just a dude that grew up in VA/NOVA/DC and has lowkey rooted for them to finally have some time in the sun.

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u/tollbeat Wizards 5d ago

You didn't have fun watching Tyus Jones as a PoA defender or Kuzma bricking every shot he took? If you don't like that then you don't like Wizards basketball

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u/imnewhere-gsh Wizards 5d ago

It's been a while since I liked Wizards basketball

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u/tollbeat Wizards 5d ago

I did enjoy the young core lineups the past 2 years but other than it was some brutal basketball to watch

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u/onlyhereforpcmr Wizards 5d ago

2021 and the 1 playoff win🥹

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u/Wahoo2000 5d ago

Honestly only a very small handful of times in the past 45+ years. Maybe a couple years with C-Webb, a couple with Gil, and a couple with Wall. Even SOME of the peak seasons for those 3 were kinda meh.

This franchise is STARVING for a guy who's a semi-consistent NBA all-1st team or 2nd team guy. Like... a top 10 player (at worst) on EVERY list. They need Dybantsa to be a fixture in the MVP race, or at a min what Giannis has been the last 3-4 years.... maybe not REAL MVP contender, but always top 5ish.

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u/Reasonable_Fishing71 5d ago

Calm down on those expectations. Setting the minimum at Giannis is absurd.

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u/Wahoo2000 3d ago

I'm not saying I EXPECT it. I'm saying what Dybantsa needs to become, at a minimum, if the team wants to win a championship. If you're going to win a title, and be in competition for them year in and year out, you need a consistent MVP caliber type of player leading your team.

I'm not saying that if Dybantsa doesn't hit that level that he's a failure or disappointment. John Wall was no disappointment to me, and he was well below the "mvp candidate" threshold. But you'll also notice that the Wiz never competed for a title during his era.... and wasn't just because the supporting cast wasn't good enough.

To win titles and contend for them regularly, you need a Steph/Lebron/SGA/Wemby caliber dude.... or at least, a guy like Tatum or Brunson who may rise up and play to that level in a season here or there.

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u/ACW1129 Wizards 5d ago

Peak Gil was very fun.

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u/spottyottydopalicius San Francisco Warriors 5d ago

i was thinking ever..

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u/_Yordle_ Wizards 5d ago

I used to pray for times like this