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Dybantsa<\/p>\n
NEW YORK \u2014 For anyone seeking clues in the final hours before the NBA draft, AJ Dybantsa\u2019s Father\u2019s Day message to his dad apparently wasn\u2019t one.<\/p>\n
In the first of two pictures that went along with the posting on X, Anicet Dybantsa Sr. (\u201cAce\u201d) is holding young AJ in front of the White House. The White House, of course, is in Washington, the home of the team that has the No. 1 pick on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
But Dybantsa wasn\u2019t revealing anything about the Wizards\u2019 intentions. He was just trying to avoid revealing too much of himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, it was just a random photo that I found,\u201d Dybantsa said Monday. \u201cI was going to do one and I was a baby, but I was naked, so I didn\u2019t want to do that one. So the next one to the right just happened to be in front of the White House.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a strong possibility Dybantsa is indeed headed back to Washington. The 6-foot-9 forward from Boston led the nation with 25.5 points per game in his lone season at BYU and has drawn comparisons with his size and skills to Kevin Durant, who is Dybantsa\u2019s favorite player.<\/p>\n
Maybe \u2026 Boozer?<\/p>\n
The Wizards also could consider other players from a strong group of one-and-done stars, including Darryn Peterson of Kansas, college player of the year Cameron Boozer of Duke or forward Caleb Wilson from North Carolina. Behind them are a number of talented scoring guards.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this draft top to bottom is elite. I think you look at guys even outside of the top group, guys in the 16-to-20 range, those are all great players,\u201d Boozer said. \u201cI think our draft is really strong, stronger than a lot of classes that came before us. I guess we\u2019ll see how strong we really are in a couple of years from now, but I am super excited for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Utah Jazz have the No. 2 pick, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls. Assuming the four forwards are all gone by then, the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 5 would have the first choice among the likes of Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, Kingston Flemings of Houston or Mikel Brown Jr. of Louisville.<\/p>\n
Dybantsa, with his strong resume against top competition, is obviously hard to pass up. But the Wizards also have to weigh Peterson\u2019s potential against what he was able to deliver at Kansas.<\/p>\n
A McDonald\u2019s All-American in high school, he averaged 20.2 points last season as one of the top recruits ever landed by the Jayhawks. But there are plenty of questions when it comes to his availability. Peterson dealt with full-body cramping issues before the season that led to a brief hospitalization, and other injuries and illnesses kept him from playing in 11 games while limiting him in several others.<\/p>\n
The 6-5 guard said teams haven\u2019t shown any concerns about his health.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot at all,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery team\u2019s got my medicals and I\u2019m cleared, so there\u2019s no issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t seem stressed about not knowing where he\u2019s headed after draft night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, it\u2019s been my life for a while now,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cI went to three different high schools. I\u2019ve been on the move my entire life, so no problem at all. That\u2019s part of the process and I\u2019m embracing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dybantsa is ready to create NBA cheers<\/p>\n
The host Nets have the No. 6 pick, hoping to generate some buzz in a city where they\u2019ve never felt less significant after the Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973.<\/p>\n
Dybantsa was at Game 4 at Madison Square Garden \u2014 the other photo with his father was taken at the NBA Finals \u2014 when the Knicks made the biggest finals comeback on record by erasing a 29-point deficit.<\/p>\n
\u201cCraziest game I\u2019ve ever watched in real life,\u201d he said. \u201cLike, it was so loud in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now Dybantsa is looking forward to being the player creating the cheers. The Wizards\u2019 title drought is almost as long as the Knicks\u2019 was, having last won in 1978 when they were still known as the Bullets.<\/p>\n
If they tab Dybantsa as the player who can turn them around, he\u2019s ready for the expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, it\u2019s going to be a little bit more pressure probably, target on my back,\u201d Dybantsa said. \u201cI mean, I\u2019ve been No. 1 my whole life and people gunning after me, so it\u2019d be a bigger motivation for me going into the league.\u201d<\/p>\n
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