Having the number one overall pick seems like a dream come true for a lot of people. But it’s not exactly all sunshine and rainbows like everyone thinks, especially in the NBA.
First off, you have to be one of the worst teams in the league and even if you have the worst record, you aren’t guaranteed to get the first pick thanks to the lottery. Imagine tanking for years and never securing the top pick. It would be something straight out of a nightmare.
Even though many teams dream of holding the No. 1 overall pick, it also comes with a price and pressure. As I mentioned earlier, you have to be really bad the year before, and on top of that, if you don’t pick the right guy, you could end up back where you started or even worse.
This year, the Washington Wizards had the number one pick, and the big question surrounding them was, Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa? One could argue that Cameron Boozer belongs in that conversation as well, but it was really just between Darryn and AJ.
The Wizards decided to go with AJ Dybantsa from BYU with the first pick, and I must say I agreed with it 100%. After they signed star point guard Trae Young to a new deal, it felt like drafting AJ was the smart thing to do.
Don’t get me wrong, Darryn Peterson is a good player. However, I think just like AJ, he’s not a complete player just yet. On top of that, don’t forget all the drama surrounding him during his time at Kansas.
I can’t remember seeing a kid under 20 years old load managing in college. It’s not like Kansas was playing scrubs every week. Even in close Big 12 games, Darryn was limiting his minutes. Now, it did get better as the year went on, but it’s still crazy to see that for such a young player.
It was clear that Kansas head coach Bill Self was frustrated with Darryn, and for a guy who has health issues and is thinking about retiring, I am sure dealing with that didn’t help him any. There’s no denying his talent, because in nearly every game he played, he was the best player on the floor. But at times, he seemed a bit difficult to deal with.
As for Dybansta, he seems like he’s just out there wanting to play every opportunity he can. He was a first-team All-American and was named the Big 12 freshman of the year, as no other conference in the country had a better group of freshmen.
AJ can light it up offensively and can shoot it from midrange and take it to the bucket. Plus, given his size, I think he can become a physical defender. Keep in mind, he’s only 19 years old. He’s still got plenty to learn, but with his attitude and skill set, he will be a great player at the next level.
I have heard all week how Darryn Peterson has a higher ceiling, and maybe he does. Maybe he turns into a perennial All-Star in the NBA. But AJ is one hell of a player too, and deserves praise for what he did at BYU last season. Maybe there’s no wrong answer here, but the Washington Wizards made the right decision to make AJ Dybantsa the number one overall pick and the next face of their franchise.
