The NBA Draft should bring plenty of talent to the league in June, with BYU Cougars standout, AJ Dybantsa, headlining the selections, as the player many believe will go No. 1 overall.
While a lot will depend on the pre-draft combine results and which team lands that top pick through the draft lottery system, Dybantsa appears to be the player most teams would want to choose in that spot. As a freshman, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, showing his potential to become a franchise star at the next level.
Some teams have stronger chances than others to land the top pick, including the Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets. However, there are a few teams with slim chances to get the No. 1 pick that are already within playoff contention.
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That includes the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, both of whom recently participated in the annual Sofi NBA Play-In Tournament and lost. While Golden State beat the Los Angeles Clippers and then lost to the Phoenix Suns, Miami lost to the Charlotte Hornets in an exciting 127-126 overtime game.
That ended the Heat’s chances of making the postseason, but they were right on the brink of getting in. Based on a new mock draft prediction from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, the Heat could be the team lucky enough to land the No. 1 pick Dybantsa.
Wasserman writes that the BYU star “would fit seamlessly between Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro” in the lineup, further bolstering their chances to contend in the Eastern Conference. He also mentions Dybantsa’s “elite footwork,” “high-level shotmaking skill,” and “some passing smarts.”
Dybantsa has received plenty of comparisons to current and former NBA stars. Among them are Pro Basketball Hall of Famers, Tracy McGrady and Scottie Pippen, per NBADraft.net, which would mean a franchise-altering star could be on the way with the BYU star.
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While NBADraft.net also mentions Dybantsa needs to continue improving “perimeter shooting consistency and defensive engagement,” they also suggested he is the “safest” option at No. 1 overall.
Other possibilities for that top pick include Kansas’s Darryn Peterson and Duke’s Cam Boozer. However, Dybantsa’s talent and skill set seem rare for NBA squads to get, so it would be foolish for Miami to draft him. One of the biggest issues the Heat face is that they have only a one percent chance of winning the draft lottery.
The Golden State Warriors have slightly better chances to win the No. 1 pick, but only at two percent. Meanwhile, teams that were farther from appearing in the playoffs this past season, including the Wizards, Pacers, and Nets, seem much more likely to get Dybantsa, and they all need that type of player more than Miami currently does.
There’s also speculation that the Miami Heat are interested in acquiring a superstar for their roster, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, or Donovan Mitchell. All of those players would immediately make this team a tough contender in the East, while Dybantsa could take some time to emerge into what he’s capable of.
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