During the Washington Wizards’ final preseason game on Friday, rookie superstar AJ Dybantsa suffered an ankle injury. Although Washington lost to the New Orleans Pelicans, everyone’s attention was on Dybantsa’s injury and how severe it is. If the Wizards have any hope of truly competing in their first full season with Trae Young, Dybantsa must play, as he may unlock Washington’s full offensive potential.
In such a crucial position, the Wizards handled their star’s injury with care. Fortunately, it paid off for them, as the rookie’s injury news was the best-case scenario.
AJ Dybantsa Gets A Favorable Injury Status By Wizards’ Head Coach
Dybantsa got off to a hot start Friday evening, scoring 12 points in just 15 minutes. However, in the second quarter, Dybantsa took a mid-range jump shot, landing awkwardly on his ankle. Washington immediately pulled him off the floor, playing overly cautiously. As luck would have it, Washington may have saved the forward’s chance to debut on opening night.
According to Wizards’ head coach Brian Keefe, Dybantsa is considered day-to-day with a left ankle sprain. Fans, take a deep breath; your superstar is okay. In what can only be described as a monumental point in Wizards franchise history, Dybantsa should be ready to debut on opening night against the Milwaukee Bucks on October 21st, but the team is taking it one day at a time and certainly won’t rush him back.
Even so early into his career, Dybantsa has proven to be the player that everyone thinks he can become. After dominating his Summer League session, the BYU phenom’s been even better in his first few games on the NBA hardwood.
Early Domination
The 19-year-old suffered an unfortunate injury that ended an impeccable start to the young star’s career. The forward has been a consistent option for Washington throughout the preseason. In all four appearances, Dybantsa scored over 10 points while shooting nearly 50% or better. He’s also stuffed the stat sheet across multiple games, with six steals, 15 rebounds, and seven assists across his preseason.
Even early on, Dybantsa has shown immense skill on offense. Washington had multiple problems last season, and lacking a true scorer was among the biggest. While Young and Anthony Davis will no doubt help, the Wizards need Dybantsa to become the true three-level threat in the NBA that he’s been throughout his entire basketball career. If the preseason was any indication, he’s destined to be that and more.
Ongoing Issues
Dybantsa’s injury was one of the fortunate situations; it’s far from an isolated case. Washington’s extensive injury history is worth noting and is one of their many underlying questions. While the roster remains relatively healthy through the preseason, what will the regular season bring? One major injury to Young, Davis, Alex Sarr, or another to Dybantsa could become too much for the team to overcome.
Last season, almost the entire roster experienced one or several injuries. Davis never debuted for Washington; Young played only five games, Kyshawn George was limited to under 50 games, and Sarr is coming off an injury he sustained over the summer. Several others missed extended periods with lingering issues. The Wizards need to keep this injury-prone roster as healthy as possible. The Wizards are deep, but losing too many starters may send them right back to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The Last Word
Dybantsa’s injury is unfortunate, no doubt, but his dominance early should be a good sign of great things to come. His offensive skill set and all-around play push the Wizards into contention next season. However, with health being a primary concern for the entire roster, it’s going to be difficult to manage expectations if the roster becomes ravaged by injuries. Should these injuries continue to plague Washington, the Wizards’ depth chart will be tested from the start.
Featured Image: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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