The Wizards have something exciting to show for a league-worst 17-65 season. Washington landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and used it on BYU wing AJ Dybantsa. Last year, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game for the Cougars, and his ideal size and advanced skill set should make him an instant-impact player.
The Wizards will also have Trae Young and Anthony Davis to start the year. Young played a little for Washington last year, but it’ll feel like the Wizards are debuting two new All-Stars.
It’ll be interesting to see how all of the new acquisitions mesh with the existing young core, but it’s hard not to be excited about what it could look like. Washington has been awful for quite some time, but Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Will Riley, and Bub Carrington all have potential.
Honestly, the idea of Davis and Sarr playing together is super interesting, as both defend extremely well. Lineups with Coulibaly, Davis, and Sarr could be very difficult to score against.
This team just has to do something that’s easier said than done: learn how to win. The Wizards have been very weak defensively, they’re not used to sacrificing on offense, and I’m not sure they’ve ever played with the common goal of playing good team basketball.
I mentioned it in the Draft Lottery feature earlier in the guide, but Carrington recently said it was “no secret” that Washington was tanking for Dybantsa. Well, the Wizards enter this year with a win total of 35.5 in some places, and veterans like Young and Davis aren’t there to miss the playoffs. Washington is loaded with talent, but let’s see how the group handles expectations.
I think they’ll do just fine, and I believe they can be a Play-In team.
BURNING QUESTIONS
Is Brian Keefe the right guy for the job?
Keefe is 43-160 in his three years with the Wizards. I’m extremely surprised Washington kept him around, but I understand the front office felt he deserved a chance to win with a normal roster.
Still, Keefe enters this year with the hottest seat in coaching. The Wizards put together a playoff-caliber depth chart, and it’s his job to do something with it.
His big test will be scraping together a competent defense. He’s considered a defensive-minded coach, but Washington was 30th in the NBA in Adjusted Defensive Rating (121.4) last season. Finishing anywhere near the bottom five again would be unacceptable if Davis and Sarr can stay healthy. Keefe will also need buy-in from some of the guards, who haven’t shown much interest in competing defensively.
Perhaps I’m wrong about Keefe, who is well-respected around the league. But I haven’t seen much from him, and this would be a popular job if it were to come available.
How will Dybantsa operate with the smallest on-ball role he has ever had?
Dybantsa is pretty flawless as an offensive prospect. He’s quick and explosive for a player his size, he has excellent footwork, and he’s polished in every aspect of the game. His lone weakness right now is that his jumper is lagging behind the rest of his game. Still, there’s a good chance he’s in the mix for Rookie of the Year, and it isn’t hard to imagine him giving Washington 15+ from the jump.
The question is how he settles in next to Young. Last year, Dybantsa had a Usage Rate of 33.5% at BYU, a top-10 mark in all of college basketball, and he obviously had the ball in his hands a ton in high school. In D.C., Keefe will look to get him involved, but he’s not going to be the first option. That means Dybantsa will need to make a bigger impact off the ball. It’ll also be important that he digs in defensively, which he didn’t always do in Provo.
Dybantsa will have his opportunities to show out, but he also needs to fit in if Washington is going to achieve its goals.
Can Young and Davis turn the clock back a little?
From an age perspective, Young is still in his prime. However, he was more productive earlier in his career, and he has struggled to stay on the floor recently. The Wizards need him to shoot the three-ball well, make plays without hijacking the offense, move a little more off the ball, and at least pretend to care on defense. Young used to be a player whose presence meant a top-five Adjusted Offensive Rating for a team. Washington needs him to get back to that, but not at the expense of the younger players getting chances.
With Davis, it’s just a matter of health. At 33 years old, he isn’t the player he once was, but he’s still a two-way force when healthy. The problem is that he has played fewer than 60 games in six of the last seven seasons. The Wizards need him to buck that trend, and fortunately for them, Davis needs to as well. He’s playing for a contract, and improved availability will allow him to cash in.
WIN TOTAL BEST BET: Over 33.5
