AJ Dybantsa is looking the part of a number-one draft pick at the NBA Summer League

It didn't take long for former BYU standout AJ Dybantsa to affirm his standing as the best player in his draft class. Yes, he was the number-one overall pick in the 2026 class of prospects, but the NBA jury becomes a crowd of skeptics from the moment a player's name is called over the podium on draft night.

As soon as you're the number-one pick, the responsibility falls on your shoulders to prove it.

Prove that your team can rely on you to be "the guy" when it comes to winning time. Prove that you can build an MVP-worthy resume over an 82-game season. Prove that you can be the best player on a basketball surface when facing off against the toughest level of competition in the world.

And like I said: AJ Dybantsa wasted no time proving that he was the right pick for Washington in the NBA Summer League.

In his first appearance in a Wizards jersey (sort of), Dybantsa was matched up against Darryn Peterson, the second overall pick and the only name consistently dropped as Dybantsa's competition for the pinnacle.

Dybantsa climbed the summit on draft night, and climbed the ladder over Peterson's Jazz squad early in their head-to-head.

Highlight jams through traffic, buttery-smooth fallaway jumpers tumbling through the net, and a burst with the ball in his hands that is borderline unholy for a human being in a 6'9" frame. He posted elite athleticism with a 42" vertical leap at the NBA Draft Combine, and he flexed that muscle by reaching above contesting defenders from all angles on the floor.

He notched 27 points, tying a Summer League debut record at the time, and did it while leading his team to a victory over the previous unbeaten Jazz.

In his second chomp of Summer League cake, Dybantsa showed off his defensive upside, with three steals and a pair of blocks to prop up his 23-point outing.

His efficiency has been poor -- there's no getting around that, especially from beyond the arc -- but some players radiate stardom when given a chance to perform. AJ Dybantsa is looking the part and then some.

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