The NBA playoffs are finally here! Though the play-in tournament results will determine the final draft lottery odds, we’ve got a pretty good idea about how things will fall.
Projected at No. 1 overall are the Washington Wizards (17-65).
BYU freshman forward, A.J. Dybantsa, come on down …
Congratulations to the Wizards for their hard work tanking their way to only 17 wins, ending the year on a high note with a 10-game losing streak! At worst, the Wizards can end up with the fifth pick. But we’ll save that nightmare scenario for a future mock. For now, the Wizards stick with the first pick and land Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring as a freshman by averaging 25.5 points for a top-25 team.
At 6-foot-9, players his size are not supposed to move with the herky-jerky elasticity that Dybantsa does. He can dunk over defenders. He can stop on a dime and fade away from midrange. And he can catch fire from behind the line, too. BYU head coach Kevin Young said Dybantsa’s scoring talent is “in rare air with some of the greats.” Over the course of his freshman year, he began to make dramatic progress as a passer, too, as shown with his cross-court, bull’s-eye passes to find shooters.
If the Wizards land him with the top pick, they could be getting the face of the franchise they need to headline a young roster with some appealing talents, such as center Alex Sarr, wing Kyshawn George, and guard Tre Johnson. And perhaps Trae Young and Anthony Davis could return next season and help Dybantsa win as a rookie.
Check out the rest of the picks in Yahoo Sports’ latest two-round NBA mock draft.