Since the NBA Draft lottery drew close and the lottery has now fallen into place, the debate between Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa has been raging. Peterson was still missing games and halves in February because of a number of illnesses, while Dybantsa was excelling and making his case for the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft. But the lottery fallout has made things fascinating.
Despite the fact that BYU supporters have been arguing throughout the year that Dybantsa was superior to Peterson and that he deserved the first overall pick, many of them are now attempting to recant those claims in what might be described as a “take-backsies. ” This is because the Utah Jazz have formally secured the 2 pick in the forthcoming draft.
The Jazz are only behind the Washington Wizards, who will be making the top pick for the first time since 2010, when they chose John Wall. There is a possibility that AJ Dybantsa is their man, which fills the Jazz-BYU faithful with dread and worry. Ryan Smith, the owner of the Jazz, was instrumental in the 6’9 forward attending prep school and college in Utah. Danny and Austin Ainge, who played for the Jazz, even attended BYU.
The Utah Jazz front office and BYU fans will now start their mind games in an attempt to persuade the Wizards not to choose Dybantsa as the top overall pick. On their part, this strategy entails persuading everyone they know that they now believe Peterson is the superior option. The argument is, ironically, true since Peterson could very well be.
With the Wizards and Jazz, how would Peterson fit in?
Peterson’s bizarre unavailability for the Jayhawks throughout the season—caused by cramps, little injuries, and sickness—has been the main criticism of him. Peterson recently shed some light on this, explaining how he experienced full-body convulsions as a result of a high creatine intake, which turned into a physical and ultimately psychological barrier that he overcame.
In his 29 minutes on the court each game, the 6’6″ future star averaged 20. 2 points, 4. 2 rebounds, 1. 6 assists, and 1. 4 steals, despite these difficulties. When combined with his silky smooth jumper (which doesn’t even do his shooting ability justice at 38. 2% from beyond the arc) and his capacity to carry a subpar KU offense in some of his biggest contests, he may very well be the superior option for the No. 1 pick over Dybantsa.
Peterson would immediately fit in as the starting SG with Trae Young, a former Atlanta Hawk, if the Wizards were to choose him. He would also be accompanied by two very athletic big guys in an aging Anthony Davis and a young Alex Sarr. Although Peterson would have competition for guard minutes from Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, and Bub Carrington, he would have a rather obvious route to a starting position.
The layout is more complicated and the way forward is less evident if the Wizards do choose the Dybantsa course with the Jazz. Keyonte George will probably start at PG, Lauri Markkanen at SF, Jaren Jackson Jr. at PF, and Walker Kessler at C for the Jazz. This indicates that their starting SG position is vacant as well, but Ace Bailey is widely regarded and Brice Sensabaugh is coming off a successful season.
When Kansas was one of his last four teams as he was about to commit in 2024, Dybantsa and the Jayhawk diehards had a connection. If we move ahead to 2026, it still appears that KU, BYU, and Dybantsa are entangled in this intriguing Peterson-Dybanta quandary.
