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Can A.J. Dybantsa turn around the Washington Wizards?

Kevin O'Connor·Tom HaberstrohWed, June 24, 2026 at 12:19 AM UTC

Yahoo Sports’ Draft Live crew breaks down the 1st overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft as the BYU forward is heading to the Washington Wizards.

Video Transcript

That it feels like Washington got the pick right here.

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It's obviously a franchise that has had issues in years past in getting players to stay there.

And so he really could be a piece that you can build around, so to speak.

A- and because he's phenomenal.

And when you look at him, what he did in his, you know, work at BYU, he led the country in scoring, and that was cool.

That was fine and dandy, but what I was most impressed with was his ability to be able to make people around him better.

He had 11 games, right?

That's 33% of the games in which he played, he had five assists or more.

So when you look at that team, Rob Wright was great, but he was more of a two guard.

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He's not your traditional point guard.

When AJ Diberta, when Kevin Young put him at that one spot, AJ Diberta was able to excel, and he was the one making plays.

He was the one getting Rob right off the ball and putting Rob right in positions to be able to score.

And when we talked to Kevin Young at the combine, he s- he said, "I'm glad you asked that question.

I'm glad you brought that up," because that is his most underrated thing that nobody talks about.

His ability to be able to pass at his size alongside score, there's not too many things that AJ Diberta cannot do on the floor.

A- and I think with that usage at BYU he had- Yes where he had- a 34% usage rate, had a 60% true shooting on that, and as well as the fact he got to the rim on 40% of his shots, King.

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He made 63% of those.

Diberta, high volume player, high usage player.

Got to the rim at will in college without ideal spacing- Yes at BYU.

Yes, he did.

And now you put him into the NBA where, in theory, AD and Sark can space for you.

You have Trae Young, Trey Johnson, Kiante, Jo- you have Keeshawn George- Yeah other guys on this Washington roster that can set Diberta up.

It's very possible, I think for Diberta when it comes to his fit in the NBA, this is an ideal situation.

'Cause h- in order to stay on the floor and get touches, you're gonna have to defend.

Yeah.

And Diberta said this week that he knows his biggest flaw was his off-ball defense at BYU, and I can't wait to see him prove that he can do that at a high level in the NBA on top of everything else that's made him a number one pick.

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Mm-hmm.

Ice, you mentioned John Wall.

Yeah.

I think it's gonna be closer to John Wall than it is Kwame Brown.

For Washington.

Let's hope so for DC.

I hope so.

Because guys, I'm telling you, the draft history of the Washington Wizards is not great.

You look at historically, I ran the numbers, that the production that you see from the Washington Wizards since 1989, which is the first year of the modern NBA draft when it went to two rounds, the Washington Wizards with It's tough when you got Kwame Brown on the sheet.

It, they've had the lowest percent of their, their difference between expected, production at the NBA level and how, how they actually delivered there with Atlanta, the Clippers, Kings, and Dallas there.

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And a lot of it is, you know, Jan Vesely.

You got Johnny Davis at 10, Otto Porter at three.

They haven't had those home run hits.

Yeah.

I think Diberta for me, if you're looking at upside, that's one thing.

The other thing here, King, is the shot.

33% shooting from downtown.