The Washington Wizards are off to a 2-3 start to the NBA season after losing 121-111 to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
However, the biggest storyline was the return of rookie and first overall pick AJ Dybantsa, who began the season sidelined with an ankle sprain.
Dybantsa made his Wizards debut and led the team in scoring with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and 1-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also added two rebounds and two assists in just 26 minutes of action.
Wizards Make Dybantsa Announcement
After the game, the Wizards announced that Dybantsa scored the most points by a Washington rookie in his debut since Tom Gugliotta scored 20 in 1992. Dybantsa also tied for the fourth-most points by a Wizards rookie in his debut in franchise history.
Via Wizards PR: “Wizards guard/forward AJ Dybantsa finished his NBA debut with a team-high 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, while also providing two assists and two rebounds in 27 minutes. It’s the most points by a Wizards rookie in their debut since Tom Gugliotta (20) on 11/2/92 at Charlotte, and tied for the fourth-most points by a Wizards rookie in their debut in team history.”
Wizards guard/forward AJ Dybantsa finished his NBA debut with a team-high 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, while also providing two assists and two rebounds in 27 minutes.
It’s the most points by a Wizards rookie in their debut since Tom Gugliotta (20) on 11/2/92 at Charlotte, and tied for the fourth-most points by a Wizards rookie in their debut in team history.
#ForTheDistrict
— Wizards PR (@WizPRStats) October 29, 2026
The NBA also shared that Dybantsa became the seventh No. 1 overall pick since the 1982-83 season to lead his team in scoring during his NBA debut.
He joined a group that includes Paolo Banchero, his current teammate Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Dybantsa Looking to Add to His Offensive Game
Although Dybantsa has one of the purest and most fluid offensive games, he admitted after the loss that he wants to add a floater or a more reliable midrange shot to his arsenal to help him score against taller defenders.
“These guys are trees,” Dybantsa said. “Like, I mean, I’ve always been like kind of the biggest guy. But you get here, these guys are seven foot. So just try to add like a little floater to my bag or try to add a middy to my bag, so every time I can’t get all the way to the paint, I have another solution to score.”
Washington Wizards Make AJ Dybantsa Announcement After Cavaliers Loss