After a busy offseason, Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has been impressed with AJ Dybantsa and is eager to see the No. 1 overall pick take the court.
Dybantsa was a consensus first-team All-American at BYU, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 33.1% from 3-point range. He led the country in scoring after totaling 894 points, the third-most by a freshman in history.
The 19-year-old has been among the most active players in the gym throughout the summer, which has struck Dawkins early on. The fourth-year general manager believes Dybantsa has the right mindset entering his first training camp, which begins on Tuesday.
"He really is a worker," Dawkins said Thursday. "We got some guys here who
bring sleeping bags to the gym because they are here all the time and come back, and he is one of those guys that adopted that right away and kind of fell in line with some of our other guys. ... He is a smart basketball player, and he cares about the greater good."
Dybantsa debuted with the Wizards in the NBA Summer League, averaging 25 points, seven rebounds, 2.5 steals, two assists and 1.5 blocks in two games. He tied with teammate Will Riley for the third-highest scoring average among all players in Las Vegas.
The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa and the rest of the team will have plenty of opportunities to practice together, with the Wizards' first preseason game not until Oct. 8. Dawkins said the team has already been on the court often with the entire roster back in D.C. by Labor Day.
Dybantsa joins the Wizards with plenty of hype as the top pick after establishing himself as one of the top players in college basketball last season. The group is ecstatic to see him on the court and showcase why he was so highly touted out of BYU.
"The fun part is he is going to be out there playing, and the best development for anyone is getting minutes," Dawkins said. "For him, we tell him patience is the most important thing. I think instant gratification for players is normal, and he is going to have his normal ups and downs as any rookie, but he is really, really talented."
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Wizards GM Will Dawkins praises AJ Dybantsa for work ethic, mindset
