AJ Dybantsa’s NBA debut will have to wait. The No. 1 overall pick is out for the Washington Wizards’ season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night at Capital One Arena because of a sprained ankle.
Dybantsa got hurt in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans. He had 12 points in 15 minutes before he landed awkwardly on a jump shot in the second quarter. Head coach Brian Keefe has called him day to day but hasn’t offered a firm timeline.
The good news for Wizards fans is that it doesn’t look like a long absence. His regular season debut could come as soon as Friday, when Washington hosts the Toronto Raptors.
Dybantsa arrived in Washington with plenty of hype. He led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game in his one season at BYU and earned first team All-American honors. The Wizards hadn’t picked first overall since taking John Wall in 2010. In the preseason, Dybantsa averaged 12.8 points while shooting 43.9 percent from the field, though just 18.2 percent from three.
He joins a roster built to win now. Trae Young and Anthony Davis lead the way, with young pieces like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson around them. That is a big shift for a franchise that went 17-65 last season.
Dybantsa isn’t the only Wizard sitting out. Tristan Vukcevic is out with a hip injury, and Jamir Watkins is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Tipoff against Milwaukee is set for 7 p.m.
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