AJ Dybantsa has been one of the best prospects to come through college basketball in a long time. The BYU basketball program shocked everyone when it got a commitment from him. He has been extremely productive this season and has been nothing short of a superstar. However, there are some issues with his game, and it's worth noting that he has flaws despite his talent.
Dybantsa is guaranteed to get drafted in the top three, but against better teams, Dybantsa has struggled in comparison. “The Athletic's” Sam Vecenie released a big piece on what he is hearing about the NBA Draft, and Dybantsa's struggles against better teams have been off-putting to some.
Vecenie said, “Overall, he has a true-shooting percentage of 61.5, well above the national average. However, against what KenPom defines as Tier A and B competition, Dybantsa’s true-shooting percentage plummets to a below-average 53.3 percent. His assist rate drops from 21.9 percent overall to 17.4 percent against Tier A and B teams. He’s had great games against good competition, like his monster performance against Clemson when he had 28 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.”
It is worth noting that the two games Dybantsa played against Texas Tech and Arizona stand out the most. Against good teams, the tape shows he has been getting to the rim much less and is being forced to settle for midrange shots more. It has not been as easy for Dybantsa, and he has had to adjust.
He’s also taking more shots inside the paint but outside of five feet in conference play, and his shooting percentage on midrange jumpers has drastically declined from nonconference play, as bigger, longer, stronger defenders are contesting him. He struggles to keep his dribble alive when he’s inside the arc, meaning he doesn’t separate as well as you’d want. He often picks up his dribble on his drives to try to gather and get to the rim or to pivot for a jumper.
Teams are playing gap-heavy coverages, as Arizona did. They’re daring him to pass or shoot midrange jumpers. Dybantsa needs to adjust for the NBA. However, he's being held to a higher standard and could still be drafted with the first pick.
