After Monday night’s 122-111 loss to the Pistons in Detroit, Washington Wizards rookie phenom AJ Dybantsa is making one thing clear: He doesn’t care about his individual performance, only whether the Wizards win the game.
AJ Dybantsa Does Not Care About Stats
Following the No.1 overall pick’s 21-point, eight-rebound performance against the Pistons, NBA on ESPN posted a highlight package of Dybantsa’s baskets, writing,
“These buckets are so elite 😂
AJ Dybantsa moving like a vet 🔥”
Dybantsa then quoted the post, writing, “don’t matter. need more dubs.”
It’s an impressive mindset from Dybantsa, who is tasked with helping change the culture in Washington. The Wizards have won 15, 18 and 17 games over the past three seasons and are looking to become a respectable franchise again.
Washington has tried to surround the rookie with competent NBA players in his first season in the league. It certainly helps to have guys such as Anthony Davis, Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton around to form the foundation of a competitive NBA roster. To a lesser extent, that includes Trae Young, although that acquisition doesn’t appear to be working out.
After missing the first four games of the season with a sprained ankle, Dybantsa has gotten off to a promising start and shown flashes of his considerable potential. He’s averaging 16.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 43.3% shooting from the field and 27.3% from 3-point range.
The Wizards’ Start to the 2026-27 Season
After beginning the season 4-3, getting fat off wins against the lowly Bucks, Bulls and Hornets, the Wizards have now lost four consecutive games and sit at 4-7.
In those last four games, albeit against quality opponents (the Hawks twice, Thunder and Pistons), Washington has struggled mightily. The Wizards have a 103.7 offensive rating (28th), a 121.0 defensive rating (28th) and the NBA’s second-worst net rating at minus-17.4 during that stretch.
Anthony Davis has been pretty good to start the season, although it seems like he might be auditioning for other teams more than planting his flag in Washington. The 10-time All-Star is averaging 25.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range. On Monday night against Detroit, Davis erupted for 44 points and 13 rebounds, with 30 of those points coming in the first half.
Why Did the Wizards Give Trae Young A Contract Extension?
The Trae Young experiment hasn’t worked out in the early going. The ninth-year point guard is averaging 18.5 points and 8.7 assists per game but is shooting a woeful 39.3% from the field and 28.8% from beyond the arc.
After playing just 15 games last season while dealing with multiple injuries and being traded from Atlanta to Washington during the season, Young was rewarded with a four-year, $212.80 million contract extension from the Wizards this summer.
The decision surprised some around the league. After all, it appeared the Hawks were moving on from their former franchise cornerstone as they looked to make a playoff push and build around Jalen Johnson rather than Young.
Young shot 46% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range during the 2021-22 season in Atlanta. Over the next three seasons, his shooting splits were 42.9%/33.5%, 43%/37.3% and 41.1%/34%, respectively.
All Wizards fans can do is hope that Young’s propensity to control the ball and the Anthony Davis trade rumors don’t interfere with Dybantsa’s development during what could shape up to be another challenging season in the nation’s capital.
AJ Dybantsa Sends Clear Message After Wizards’ Latest Loss