Video: AJ Dybantsa Would Bet on Himself to Be Drafted Before Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey
Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRT
Featured Columnist IVOctober 28, 2024
AJ Dybantsa is the top-ranked player in the Class of 2025, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings, making him the best player in high school basketball at the moment.
But if he was entering the NBA next season, he believes he would be the No. 1 overall pick over players like Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey, as he told Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George on his Podcast P with Paul George Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment:
"Always bet on yourself, bruh," he said.
There's no doubt that Dybantsa possesses elite upside. Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports wrote in his scouting report of the young player that he "controls his own future. If he continues on his current path, then there's no one in high school basketball with more potential than him."
He added that Dybantsa "possesses a lethal pull-up game with a high release and a smooth ball rotation. He's been a celebrated prospect since before he entered high school. Yet he has avoided the pitfalls of early stardom by consistently improving his game at each level. He was the leading scorer in the 2023 Peach Jam as an underclassman and shows flashes of untapped potential on defense thanks to his size and movement skills."
Jonathan Wasserman @NBADraftWassAJ Dybantsa outduels the Boozer bros, finishing with 28 and some more beautiful iso scoring tape. Effortless shot creation with how high he elevates on jumpers at 6'9". And obviously a special shotmaker. Even on the off-balance looks, still so much control rising up. <a href="https://t.co/QipOeMoSwL">pic.twitter.com/QipOeMoSwL</a>
But Flagg was also an incredibly vaunted high school prospect, and the Duke forward is already averaging 15.5 points and 4.5 assists through a pair of preseason games. Despite being rangy, athletic wings, the two aren't a like-for-like comparison—Flagg's upside is tied as much to his playmaking abilities as it is his own scoring potential and defensive abilities.
As for Ace Bailey, he's another long wing who impresses most with his athleticism, though his shot and playmaking are not to be underestimated. If both Flagg and Bailey play up to their potential in the 2024-25 season, the top two picks in next year's NBA draft will be all but decided, with the team holding the No. 1 selection with an interesting choice on its hands.
Dybantsa won't be among the players considered until 2026. But he's the early frontrunner to be the No. 1 selection once it's his time, and he would take his chances against either Flagg or Bailey.