This year’s NBA draft class is one of the best and most anticipated in years, and it is headlined by AJ Dybansta, the dynamic 6-foot-9 who was taken with the No. 1 pick by the Washington Wizards. Dybantsa, who played for Brigham Young University last season, is thought to have serious two-way superstar, if not Hall of Fame, potential, and he could make an intriguing Wizards roster competitive right away.
His defense has room for improvement, but experts feel he has tremendous potential on that end of the floor. He certainly doesn’t seem bashful about playing defense, as one recent comment suggested.
Dybantsa made an appearance on the “Road Trippin’ Show” and issued what seemed to be a challenge to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. He prefaced his comment by saying that what Doncic and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander do offensively looks easy, and he then referenced a common criticism of Doncic.
“I just want to be on a defensive end and just see. I mean, I might be a part of it. Obviously, I might get hit with a little bump, but I just want to see how easy it is or if it’s that easy.”
“… I just want to be on like an ISO island. This sounds crazy, but I want to be on an ISO island and just really see like if he’s moving that slow.”
Doncic plays at a slow pace on offense, relatively speaking, and it’s easy to think when watching him that the right type of defender with the right physical qualities could effectively check him.
But his superpower is his ability to accelerate, then suddenly decelerate and step back, which creates separation between him and his defender. After eight years in the NBA, everyone knows it’s coming, but it’s an action that’s still difficult to contain.
The Slovenian averaged 33.5 points, which led the league, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals a game last season while leading a flawed and top-heavy Lakers roster to a 53-29 record. His campaign ended early when he suffered a hamstring strain on April 2, but he recently said he’s now 100% healthy.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: AJ Dybantsa issues challenge to Lakers’ Luka Doncic
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire | USA TODAY Network
