Summer League serves as a proving ground for young NBA prospects.
Some players, like Tre Johnson and Will Riley, quickly prove they’re too good for such competition. Others, like Johnny Davis — Washington’s No. 10 pick in 2022 — fold under the bright Las Vegas lights.
AJ Dybantsa proved worthy of the former, scoring impressively across his two performances. But that’s not to say his showing was without its imperfections.
Below is a breakdown of how the BYU product fared in his first action as a Wizard
and what, if anything, it tells us about his potential.
Scoring prowess
Dybantsa scored 27 points in Washington’s Summer League opener against the Utah Jazz. He followed with 23 points against the Sacramento Kings.
Dybantsa’s scored from multiple levels, relentlessly attacked the rim and got to the free-throw line often. His 25.0 points per game marked the most by a No. 1 pick in Las Vegas Summer League history.
This mirrored his collegiate scoring production of 25.5 PPG, which mostly came from rim finishes, mid-range jumpers and free throws. The Wizards primarily played Dybantsa on-ball, which explains his 40% usage rate.
The 6-foot-9 wing’s best pre-draft attribute was his scoring ability. Specifically around the rim, where he shot 72.3% in a tough Big 12 conference.
Dybantsa topped that efficiency in Vegas. He shot 8-for-9 (89%) at the rim, his lone miss a blocked dunk while attempting to posterize Sacramento’s Dylan Cardwell.
He also excelled at drawing contact. Dybantsa’s seven free-throw attempts per game tied Darryn Peterson for the most in Las Vegas this year.
For a Wizards team that ranked 29th in adjusted offensive rating and 26th in free throws attempted per game last season, Dybantsa’s Summer League performance proved what everyone already knew: He’s a dangerous scoring weapon that will tremendously aid Washington’s offense.
Shooting struggles
One of the few blunders on Dybantsa’s otherwise pristine draft profile was his poor outside shooting. At BYU, he shot just 33.1% from 3-point range and sub-50% on mid-range jumpers.
Those struggles continued in Vegas.
At the rim: 8-9 (89%)
Mid-range: 4-13 (31%)
3-point range: 1-11 (9.1%)
Free throws: 12-14 (86%)
While Dybantsa shot well from 2-point range (12-for-22), eight of those makes came at the rim. He made just four of his 13 2-point attempts from outside the restricted area, which were comprised of mid-range jumpers and a few floaters.
A silver lining to Dybantsa’s mid-range struggles is that he generated open looks off the dribble with his quick first step and ensuing pivot into a turnaround jumper when defenders overcommitted to stopping his drive. He didn’t finish those plays with a bucket, but it showcased the space he’s able to create and counters he’s developed for when teams overload to stop his drive.
Dybantsa’s 3-pointer is a different story. He missed all five of his outside jumpers against Utah and made just one of his six attempts against Sacramento. His lone make was an open transition triple.
Dybantsa’s 3-ball remains his Achilles’ heal. And in a league reliant on spacing, adding a respectable outside jumper should top his summer workout plan.
That said, a few poor shooting performances at Summer League isn’t the greatest indicator of whether a prospects 3-point jumper will develop. Take Peterson for example.
Those who preferred Peterson in the pre-draft process will certainly criticize Dybantsa’s poor shooting splits in Las Vegas. But Peterson, who’s primary offensive weapon is his lethal jumper, shot just 30.8% from the field — nearly nine percentage points worse than Dybantsa’s 39.4% — and 23.1% from 3-point range.
Does that mean Peterson projects as an inefficient scorer and poor 3-point shooter at the NBA level? Absolutely not. Just like Dybantsa’s low shooting percentage doesn’t mean he can never improve as a jump shooter.
Overall, Dybantsa’s shot chart is somewhat unsurprising. He was nearly unstoppable when he got to the rim, and he often drew contact when he accelerated downhill. He made a few mid-range jumpers, probably fewer than he should’ve given how open some of those looks were. And he struggled to make 3-pointers.
All of this tracks with what his draft profile suggested he was: An NBA-ready slasher who possesses the shot creation tools to evolve into a scary three-level scorer if he ever adds a respectable jump shot.
A solid defensive effort
Many questioned Dybantsa’s defensive pedigree at BYU. It wasn’t as much a question of effort as it was of production, which trailed behind his fellow prospects.
Despite a 6-foot-9 frame, a 7-foot wingspan and a 42-inch maximum vertical, Dybantsa totaled just 23 combined steals and blocks in 38 collegiate games. He tallied over 33% of that figure — eight combined steals and blocks — in just two Summer League games.
“I was lazy in college, I can admit that,” Dybantsa said on the Prime Video broadcast on Tuesday. “I want to make an impact on the defensive end”
His defensive effort was noticeable. He pressured his assignment at halfcourt and used his length to deflect passes, disrupt drives and generate five steals.
He tracked back against the Jazz for a block in transition. And against Sacramento, he casually extended his arm to swat Darius Acuff’s 3-point attempt.
Dybantsa wandered when guarding off-ball and at times lost his assignment. But for a player scolded for his lackluster defensive numbers at BYU, averaging 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per contest is a great sign that his defense will, at worst, be respectable against NBA competition.
