The Washington Wizards have a buzz about them that hasn’t been felt in DC since the early days of the John Wall era. Perhaps even the early 2000s Michael Jordan era.
The Wizards are 2-2 on the season, and the savior of the franchise—the No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa—hasn’t even made his NBA debut yet.
Below, we will deliver a Dybantsa injury update and look at when he will make his pro debut.
AJ Dybantsa injury update: When will Wizards rookie play his first game?
Dybantsa injured his left ankle in the Wizards’ final preseason game, a 107-106 Wizards loss to the Pelicans in New Orleans, on October 16.
The former BYU star landed awkwardly on his left ankle after taking a midrange jumpshot.
It is believed to be a “mild” ankle sprain. Mild ankle sprain typically take 1-3 weeks to recover from.
Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said that Dybantsa is “progressing in a very positive way” and will do more on-court work today.
Washington’s next game is Wednesday, October 28 in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.
It is likely that the Wizards will want the centerpiece of their franchise’s future to make his debut at home, so it is unlikely that Dybantsa will play Wednesday against the Cavs. A Friday, October 30 debut at Capital One Arena makes a lot of sense.
If Washington elects to give Dybantsa another full week of recovery, then we could see the debut come on Wednesday, November 4 at home against the Hawks.
Here is a look at the Wizards’ upcoming schedule.
- Wednesday, October 28: Wizards at Cavaliers
- Friday, October 30: Hornets at Wizards
- Monday, November 2: Wizards at Magic
- Wednesday, November 4: Hawks at Wizards
- Friday, November 6: Wizards at Hawks
- Saturday, November 7: Wizards at Thunder
AJ Dybantsa fantasy basketball stock and odds
Dybantsa has been going in the 7th or 8th round of fantasy basketball drafts.
He was quite the stat-sheet filler during his lone season at BYU, as he averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
The 19-year-old showed flashes of brilliance in four pre-season games with the Wizards, averaging 12.7 points.
Dybantsa is +700 to win NBA Rookie of the Year, which puts him fourth on the Fanatics Sportsbook odds board. Cameron Boozer (+200), Caleb Wilson (+350), and Yaxel Lendeborg (+400) have shorter odds.
Wizards odds
The Wizards are currently +15000 at Fanatics to win the NBA title. They are +1400 to win the Southeast Division, which are the longest odds. The Hawks (+140), Heat (+230), Magic (+350), and Hornets (+700) have shorter odds.
They are +350 to make the playoffs and -500 to miss the dance.
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