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There's always a lot of excitement surrounding the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, but with that fanfare comes responsibility. It comes with the feeling of having to prove oneself.
That's where Washington Wizards' new star AJ Dybantsa is right now. The team selected him No. 1 overall, and now, he has to prove that they made the right decision.
He'll have that chance on Thursday. Dybantsa and the Wizards take on No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz on Thursday evening at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game will be televised on ESPN.
A message for Wizards fans 'feeling panicked' about AJ Dybantsa
Kevin O'Connor, senior NBA analyst for Yahoo Sports, makes a point that Dybantsa heads into this game with something to prove. He even says that Wizards fans may be a little "nervous" about their pick, seeing all the hoopla over Peterson.
"Dybantsa could become one of the NBA's most unstoppable shot-creators, but he's already under pressure entering his Summer League debut on Thursday with a matchup against Darryn Peterson, who is looking like a superstar for Utah, and with the third pick, Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer, resembling a veteran All-Star," he notes in a feature about the NBA Summer League.
But, on the bright side, O'Connor adds that for Wizards followers "feeling panicked," remember that Dybantsa is a 6-foot-9 player who "bends, shifts, and explodes with the ball in his hands."
Dybantsa has a way of creating points out of thin air. There's no reason, yet, to doubt that he was worthy of that top pick. But now, it's time to prove it. Oh, and this also marks the beginning of a longtime Dybantsa vs. Peterson rivalry that's obviously brewing.
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