2026 NBA Draft: AJ Dybantsa Scouting Report
Evaluating the No. 1 propect on my big board ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
DRAFT EVALUATION: No. 1
LAST BIG BOARD: No. 1
NBA ROLE: Playmaking four-level jumbo scorer
REMINDS ME OF: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, wingified Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett (floor)
BOX SCORE STATS: 25.5 PTS, 6.8 REB (1.5o), 3.7 AST to 3.1 TOV, 1.1 STL, 0.3 BLK, 1.2 PF in 34.8 MINS over 35 games on 51.0 FG% / 56.8 2P% / 33.1 3P% / 77.4 FT%
ADVANCED STATS: 10.1 BPM, 33.5 USG%, 60.0 TS%, 4.7 OREB%, 16.9 DREB%, 1.2 A/TO, 22.1 AST%, 15.0 TOV%, 1.7 STL%, 1.1 BLK%, 49.0 FTr, 24.5 3Pr, 6.9 3P/100, 1.4 FC/40
Height w/o shoes: 6-foot-8½
Wingspan: 7-foot-0½
Standing reach: 8-foot-10
Weight: 217 pounds
Birthday: January 29, 2007
Draft day age: 19.4 y/o
Background:
Mother is Chelsea Dybantsa, from Jamaica. Father is Anicet “Ace” Sr,, from Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo.
Ace, dad, moved to France when he was 13, then Boston when he was 21. Attended Massasoit Community College in Brockton. Earned a soccer scholarship. Later was a Boston University police officer. Have to go through Ace to get to AJ.
Sisters are Samarra, college student in the Northeast, and Jasmyn, who plays high school volleyball.
Went to elementary school at Edgar B. Davis Community School. Graduated from Trinity Catholic Academy (Brockton, MA) in middle school.
Repeated the 8th grade at St. Sebastian’s School (Needham, MA), an all-boys, Catholic school.
As a freshman, Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year. Received his first Division I offer (Boston College).
In the summer of 2020, grew from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-3.
Transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, CA, after his freshman season. Teamed up with Tyran Stokes, possible 2027 NBA Draft no. 1 pick, there.
At the 2023 Peach Jam, averaged 25.8 PTS (leader), 5.6 REB, 2.4 AST and 1.2 BLK on 46.6 FG% and 81.6 FT%.
Reclassified from the class of 2026 to 2025 in October 2023.
Finished his high school career at Utah Prep.
Three-time FIBA gold medalist at youth levels with Team USA at the 2025 U-19 World Cup, 2024 U-17 World Cup and U-16 Americas.
Evaluation:
I expect AJ Dybantsa to one day be one of the top scorers and advantage creators in the NBA.
Dybantsa sits at the top of my board because I think that he will be close to unstoppable on offense while being difficult to target on defense.
The BYU freshman is a tantalizing athlete who puts a ton of pressure on the paint while moving in a very unique way at more than 6-foot-9 in shoes.
Dybantsa is highly capable from the midrange, passable from three, and, as a whole, his scoring is extremely polished for a 19-year-old.
He stayed efficient on super high usage for BYU in a non-ideal context and, thinking about the NBA, I expect that he will be a four-level scorer.
I am also a huge fan of AJ’s playmaking, which I really consider to be underrated.
Sure, Dybantsa can still miss some passes, but I think he already flashes advanced reads while being able to leverage his driving and scoring.
I don’t consider any other player in this draft to have Dybantsa’s blend off athleticism, scoring, passing, improvement over time, and tools.
The biggest concern is AJ’s off-ball game on both ends of the floor.
He needs to improve as a spot-up shooter and, really, he could keep getting more comfortable from three in general.
And then Dybantsa was almost a complete non-factor away from the ball on defense this year.
Pros:
Walking paint touch. Finished 73.4 FG% (127/173) of his shots within 4.5 feet of the rim and 50.6 FG% (88/174) of his shots in the paint, per CBB Analytics…
Long strides and absurd ground coverage is mesmerizing.
Tight handle relative to his play style. Able to consistently create space with his hesis, unorthodox low and high gathers, as well as his spin moves.
Great at playing off of two feet in particular.
Sometimes can become slightly overreliant on this, but already armed with an impressive bevy of counters.
Got picks fairly often at BYU, including Gortat screens from Keba Keita in the paint to further help him.
Hard to stop in transition, as well. Surefire grab-and-go athlete with twitch, elasticity, and toughness to finish at the basket.
Aggression on the defensive glass goes by unnoticed, because he really loves to push the pace.
Can get a bucket in the midrange pretty much whenever. 46.5 2P% (46/99) on pull-up twos…
Likes to get middle before rising into his jumper around the free throw line.
Can get into this move out of the post. Rsourceful with his back to the basket with plenty of counters, as a whole.
Really likes getting to the elbows after using or snaking a screen. Easy, comfortable spot for him.
Armed with a dangerous stepback, which he gets to around the elbows and both baselines.
Can bump and rise into his pull-up with ease.
Does not have the highest set point on his shot, but hard to stop with his package and height regardless.
Passable from the three-point line. I expect him to be fine in the long run…
Comfortable pulling up from deep. 35.8 3P% (24/67) on pull-up threes
Has to stay dangerous from three to fully unlock his slashing and midrange game.
Range needs to get deeper, but can get into his three-pointer off the stepback and without needing to pound the rock.
Off the ball, surprisingly looked most comfortable filling the wings in transition and trying open court threes.
Percentages in this area are his biggest blemish, but the tape shows a baseline level that I’m comfortable projecting.
Slept on playmaker. Very capable problem solver who creates quality looks at the rim and from three in a variety of ways despite missing reads sometimes…
Can create advantages almost at will thanks to his handle, size, and scoring. Defenses are always paying attention to him.
1.2 A/TO, 22.1 AST%, 15.0 TOV% on 33.5 USG%.
Grew significantly as a playmaker over the course of his freshman season. Not sure why he’s pegged as such a score-first prospect by some.
Makes pick-and-roll reads and has shown some advanced manipulation with his eyes and pass fakes.
Processing speed needs to keep ticking up, but I think Dybantsa has shown much more as a passer than Darryn Peterson. Can create more advantages than Cam Boozer off the dribble and as a scorer, which will enable him to tap into his passing in more ways.
Capable of fizzing complicated one handed live dribble passes across the floor.
Sees over the top of defenses. Finds his bigs for lobs.
Drive and kick threat in general.
Should be fine as an on-ball defender. Not easy to target him despite poor defensive metrics and up-and-down interest on this end…
Not a stopper or anything, but I expect him to match up well with wings in the NBA given his ground coverage and length.
This will especially be the case in an NBA that is increasingly less reliant on just one player carrying an entire team’s offense, I think.
Should be able to check guards.
Hope is that he can keep getting stronger to eventually guard some 4s, though will likely always be on the more slender side.
Idea that he’s a woeful defender is very overstated, though he certainly needs work off-ball.
Cons:
Capable three-point shooter, but consistency needs to tick up in the NBA, particularly with his catch-and-shoots…
30.1 3P% (25/83) on catch-and-shoot threes must be better.
Value will always largely come from his on-ball excellence, but needs to avoid pure heliocentrism. Still has to take spot-ups, attack space, and punish closeouts from there.
Saw this at times with Rob Wright this year, though by the end of the season, it felt like Dybantsa was mostly trying to set up Wright.
Hopefully gets more usage getting downhill off handoffs or down screens in the future.
Plenty of times when AJ is effectively acting as the 1, but he’s going to share the floor with other ballhandlers and guards. Not just play finishers.
Still greater efficiency and volume from the midrange than from deep….
35.8 3P% (24/67) on pull-up threes vs. 46.5 2P% (46/99) on pull-up twos.
Shot from three is a bit flat. Can’t get into it quite as easily as he does from two, whether pulling up or spotting up.
Sometimes a pronounced pause when catching and shooting as he organizes his shot.
Can become overly reliant on two-point scoring and playing off two feet if his three-ball isn’t an option.
Basically completely inactive as an off-ball defender. Really high offensive demands at BYU definitely played a role, but still needs to do more…
Complete and utter foul avoidance. Just 1.4 fouls per 40 minutes.
Poor steal and block rates have been much discussed, but show up on the tape too.
Typically a defensive nonfactor unless contesting the shot on the ball.
Logical to expect more from a great athlete who is 6-foot-10 in terms of forcing turnovers and protecting the rim - even if just occasionally.
Takes plays off sometimes, or maybe doesn’t always make a second effort. Definitely not lazy, but sometimes going above-and-beyond is needed.
Rotations need to be snappier. Has good recovery tools, but can be late to his spot or just not make the most spirited effort.
Flashes excellent playmaking moments, but misses reads a bit more often than you might like…
Not something that overly concerns me, though. BYU’s roster lacked spacing and then honestly lacked scoring punch once Richie Saunders went down injured.
Sometimes felt like he became too focused on putting the ball through the hoop.
Wouldn’t spot his teammates. Held onto the ball for a beat too long. Forced up tough shots sometimes.
This can lead to an overreliance on scoring from two and from the midrange, especially when his three is not going in.
Shot selection can get a little wild if he’s struggling.
Really like his handle, but there are risks that come with being about 6-foot-10 in shoes and playing out of long strides…
Can still get ripped by the nail help or the gap defender.
Not always able to get through small crevices as a result.
But has shown me in high school, AAU, and college that he improves as a playmaker relatively quickly.
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