Wizards' AJ Dybantsa comes close to career milestone in home debut

Playing in front of his new home crowd for the first time, AJ Dybantsa put his full skill set on display as the Washington Wizards beat the Charlotte Hornets 95-79 on Friday night. 

AJ Dybantsa was close to his first-career double-double 

Dybantsa was two rebounds shy of recording his first-career double-double in only his second game after missing four games with an ankle injury he sustained in the preseason finale. 

He put up 17 points with eight boards, an assist and a steal against the Hornets. 

The No. 1 overall pick in the most recent NBA Draft was 5-for-11 from the field and 1-for-4 from three. His solid performance comes after he totaled his current career-high of 19 points with a pair of rebounds and assists when making his season debut on Wednesday in a loss to the Cavaliers in Cleveland. 

Washington went with Dybantsa, 19, as their top pick, making the BYU product the new face of their franchise, in the 2026 NBA Draft in late June. Their choice came down to his shot-making ability, his dominating presence and size of being listed as 6-foot-9 and 210 pounds.