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Wizards’ biggest AJ Dybantsa concern after 2026 NBA Summer League appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Now that Summer League is over, Washington Wizards forward AJ Dybantsa won’t play in another organized game until the preseason. The 2026 No. 1 overall pick played in the first two contests in the Wizards’ Summer League slate, and he scored nearly all of his points from inside the arc.
Dybantsa totaled 50 points over the two games, shooting 13-of-33 (39.4%) from the field and 1-of-11 from three-point range (9.1%). The 6-foot-9, 217-pounder confirmed his pre-draft profile: he’s electric around the rim and from midrange, but has work to do from downtown.
Dybantsa won the 2026 NCAA scoring title after averaging 25.5 points on 51% shooting over 34.8 minutes (35 games) at BYU last season. However, the Massachusetts native shot just 33.1% from deep on 4.2 average attempts and 30.1% on catch-and-shoot threes. Conversely, he shot 56.8% on two-pointers and 77.4% from the free-throw line on 8.5 average attempts.
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Dybantsa’s Summer League run was a more extreme version of that. The lone three he made was a pull-up transition shot at the start of Washington’s 104-85 win over the Sacramento Kings on July 12. Other than that, he shot 12-of-22 (54.5%) from two-point range and 12-of-14 on free throws (85.7%). He would’ve had more free-throw attempts were it not for the NBA’s experimental rule during Summer League in which players took just one free throw on fouls that would normally result in multiple attempts.
Dybantsa will likely shoot better than 9.1% from deep as a rookie next season, but he won’t maximize his potential without improving his three-point shot.
AJ Dybantsa must make open threes in off-ball role for Wizards
Dybantsa showed both in college and Summer League that he can make electrifying buckets inside the arc and consistently draw fouls as the offensive engine. The 19-year-old ranked sixth in the nation with a 33.9% usage rate at BYU last season (per Basketball Reference), and he consistently brought the ball up the court during his two games in Las Vegas.
Dybantsa’s explosiveness going to the rim and ability to get separation in the midrange make him a worthy No. 1 pick, as he dominated both of his Summer League appearances despite making no impact from deep.
However, Dybantsa won’t always be the focal point of Washington’s offense in the regular season. The organization wants him, four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young and wing Kyshawn George to all get ball-handling reps, with future Hall of Fame big man Anthony Davis and center Alex Sarr also getting shots inside. He won’t always get a full head of steam going to the rim, so he must hit shots from the outside to maintain floor spacing.
Dybantsa likely won’t be a “three-and-D” wing that many off-ball forwards get categorized as, but improving his chops in both three-point shooting and defense will increase his versatility. The former McDonald’s All-American admitted to ClutchPoints before the NBA Draft that he was “lazy” defensively at BYU, but he notched five steals and three blocks in Summer League. He also revealed his goal of becoming a first-team All-Defensive player after the Wizards’ win over the Kings.
If Dybantsa stays locked in defensively, he has the size and athleticism to succeed on that end. Once he also gets more efficient with his jumper, he’ll have few major weaknesses left.
Washington also needs Dybantsa to be proficient in both areas given its roster construction. Young is one of the league’s worst defenders at 6-foot-2, 164 pounds, and that’s unlikely to change due to his frame. Plus, Davis is a career 29.5% three-point shooter, while Sarr is at 31.6%.
Assuming Young starts alongside George, Dybantsa, Davis and Sarr, Dybantsa will be the key to that lineup having adequate floor-spacing and defensive production. Davis, Sarr and George are all plus defenders, so the rookie could help the Wizards hide Young on that end. If he does, the team could run its own version of the New York Knicks with Jalen Brunson, who won the 2026 NBA title. Brunson is listed at the same height as Young and typically struggles on defense, but the rest of New York’s lineup excelled in that regard during the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Washington would be harder to defend if Dybantsa at least makes around 35% of his three-point attempts. Young has a 35.2% career clip and George is at 34.7%, so that would give the team three starters who are consistent threats from deep. The league average was 36% last season.
Regardless, the fact that Dybantsa played as well as he did in Summer League after not playing an organized game since the NCAA Tournament in March shows that the Wizards don’t have much to worry about as long as he stays healthy and motivated.
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