AJ Dybantsa: I Don't Feel Pressure at the Wizards
The No. 1 pick says a veteran-laden Washington roster lets him learn from All-Stars instead of carrying the rebuild alone.
AJ Dybantsa says he feels no particular weight on his shoulders after being taken with the first pick in this year's draft by Washington, a side that has won no more than 18 games in each of the last three seasons.
"I don't feel like there's a lot of pressure on me right now, because I've got a great group around me. A lot of guys taken first overall come into a situation where it's just them, and everything gets built around them. But on my team there are All-Star-level players and future Hall of Famers I can learn from and pick things up from: Khris Middleton, Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton. So I don't have to come in here and put a huge load on myself straight away. I think I can just build relationships with these guys, learn step by step and understand how to play the right way," Dybantsa said at the Wizards' media day.
Washington built that veteran group around its rookie over the off-season, pairing him with Middleton, Young, Davis and Ayton rather than asking him to carry the rebuild alone.
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