AJ Dybantsa is expected to become the number one pick at the 2026 NBA draft. He was the top scorer with 25.5 points per game. Many even reputed him to be the best player in the country. Despite his reputation, his individual brilliance could not help Kevin Young’s BYU in their pursuit of a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Although he was unable to push his team beyond the second round, his draft stock did not take a hit. He is pretty much guaranteed to become at least one of the top three draft picks. With the Wizards winning the NBA lottery, AJ Dybantsa might just end up in Washington for his rookie season.
Stephen A. Smith recently warned AJ Dybantsa and called Washington Wizards a “basketball abomination”. He claimed that AJ Dybantsa would be actually not so lucky if he ended up becoming the first pick as he would be joining the Wizards. After Stephen A. Smith, Colin Cowherd is also has some reservations about AJ Dybantsa joining the Wizards.
“So AJ Dybantsa, probably the number one pick. What’s interesting is that when Wemby came to the Spurs or Ant to the T-Wolves or Cooper Flagg to the Dallas Mavericks, they were kind of the center piece of everything.”
“AJ Dybantsa is going to the Wizards, presumably, and he’s going to play with Trae Young, who’s hard to play with, who takes 20 shots a game and can clog up the offense. So AJ Dybantsa, who is not a catch and shoot guy, is going to get the ball late in the possession,” Cowherd said.
“He is a creator and an innovator. He needs the ball in his hands a lot. And you’re not going to have the ball in your hands a lot with Trae Young, who just clogs up an offense,” he added.
Colin Cowherd thinks Trae Young can stunt AJ Dybantsa’s growth just like James Harden did Tyrese Maxey
Cowherd gave an example of Tyrese Maxey when he joined Philadelphia. When Maxey came into the league he played with James Harden for the first couple of years and Harden according to Colin stunted his growth.
“The minute James Harden exited, Maxey averaged 26 a game and was an all-star,” Cowherd said. He then gave an example of Trae Young at Atlanta and how Jalen Johnson “exploded” and became an all-star.
Colin Cowherd gave Dybantsa his flowers. He sees Dybantsa as a creator and innovator and stated that he needs the ball in his hands a lot, which would not be possible while playing alongside Trae Young.
Read more:
AJ Dybantsa’s NBA Draft Combine Measurements Come Extremely Close to Paul George
“Bust And I Told Y’all”: Fans React As AJ Dybantsa Struggles at One Skill in the NBA Draft Combine
Darryn Peterson Explains Why He Wasn’t 100% at Kansas Ahead of 2026 NBA Draft
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