AJ Dybantsa and Anthony Davis Are Already Making Washington Worth Watching

FINAL SCORE / VERIFIED BOX SCORE — Washington 114, Detroit 108 (overtime). AJ Dybantsa: 14 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST. Anthony Davis: 10 PTS, 11 REB, 4 AST.

Box score check: exciting flashes, not a finished product

Washington 114, Detroit 108 (overtime). AJ Dybantsa finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and no turnovers, but shot 4-for-10 overall, 0-for-2 from three and 6-for-10 at the line. He showed shot creation but still has to make open free throws and outside jumpers. Anthony Davis produced 10 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks on 3-for-8 shooting with five turnovers. That is why his impact needs to be evaluated on both ends—not just by the one defensive highlight.

Washington's offense was also supported by Tre Johnson (15 points, four made threes), while Will Riley contributed 15 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench. Detroit's Ausar Thompson delivered three steals but only two points on 1-for-7. The full game paints a more complicated picture than two star-player clips. The Wizards won while their presumed core displayed both intriguing chemistry and substantial ball-security problems.

Alex Sarr returned following surgery on a fractured right foot and finished with eight points and one rebound. The Trae–George–Dybantsa–Davis–Sarr lineup offered an early look at Washington's size and skill combinations. It's encouraging, but a short preseason sample isn't a full-strength regular-season referendum.

Data: CBS verified player totals

One link says AJ Dybantsa is cooking; another shows Anthony Davis locking someone up defensively. Treat those as two parts of a bigger rebuilding story, not two unrelated viral highlights.

Dybantsa arrived in Washington as the 2026 No. 1 pick, a big wing whose appeal comes from shot creation, length and the ability to finish in space. NBA's own highlight feed captured an and-one transition finish against Detroit. He also showed defensive activity in Washington's prior win over the Knicks, recording four steals. The downside is that NBA defenders will make him prove he can get to his spots without loose dribbles and forced jumpers. Every flashy clip needs to be followed by the less glamorous possessions.

Davis gives Washington something rookies cannot manufacture: a veteran defensive organiser with the length and timing to change shots without fouling. The Hoop Central clip of his one-on-one defence is a reminder that rim protection isn't just blocked shots. It is positioning, angles, forcing a ballhandler away from preferred spots and trusting the help behind you. His interior gravity also helps a passer like Trae Young offensively.

There is a genuine tension in this roster. If Washington's priority is development, it has to let Dybantsa make mistakes. If its priority is winning now with Davis and Young, those mistakes get expensive. Coach Brian Keefe has to build a rotation where the rookie grows without the veterans becoming props in his highlight reel.

6ixtv's view: This is why I refuse to write off the Wizards as just another rebuilding team. Trae gives them structure, AD gives them an anchor, and AJ gives them the one thing you can't coach into a player: high-end upside. It's preseason, sure. But the ingredients are real.