Rival NBA scouts and talent evaluators disagree on whether or not to play together Wizards acting out Trey Young would be perfect for A. Ya. Dybantsdevelopment, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. While Young is one of the league’s best playmakers, his presence will mean Dibanza gets his hands on the ball less frequently, and at least one scout who spoke with Robbins suggested that Jalen Johnson “spread his wings” in Atlanta when Young missed time with injuries and was eventually traded.
“Ideally you put the ball in his hands and let him figure it out.” said one scout. “He’s talented enough, so as you grow your team, he’s going to get better. There are aspects of his game in this situation that he has to adapt to those guys. So that part remains to be seen. It could definitely hinder some aspects of his development because he’s better as a creator. If he doesn’t have those opportunities, if he’s kind of boxed in on the floor and doesn’t look like a straight-up shooter, he would benefit from having the ball, posting smaller guys, driving, getting in the teeth of the defense.”
However, not every evaluator who spoke to Robbins agreed with that assessment. One spoke of the presence of a young and great man Anthony Davis would be a “huge positive” for the No. 1 overall pick, while another said it’s good that Dibanca won’t have to “take on the burden of creating a ton of offense.”
“He has so many guys who are really good basketball players that he has to find his spots in the flow of the offense.” said the last scout. “He’s going to come out and transition and finish. He’s going to get the ball on the other side of the offense and be able to create.”
Unfortunately, DiBanza will not be able to make his NBA regular season debut on Wednesday against Milwaukee. He was ruled out of the team’s opener with an ankle injury and will be considered day-to-day after that, head coach Brian Keefe said on Tuesday (Link to Twitter via Robbins).
We have more from the Southeast:
- magic security guard Anthony Black said Tuesday that not reaching a rookie expansion by Monday’s deadline won’t change his outlook for the upcoming season, according to The Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede (Link to Twitter). “I’ll still go to do what I need to do” said Black. “I’m still trying to help the team win. It’s more important than just me. So (I’m) looking forward to having a good season and making the most of this year with my team.” Black, who has been battling an ankle injury, added that he is unsure if he will be ready for the team’s regular-season opener against Atlanta on Wednesday.
- Heat second round pick Ryan Conwell made a strong case this month to earn a regular-season rotation role, averaging 17 points and six assists while shooting 48.7% from the floor over the last three preseason games. “He’s really in control” Bam Adebayo said about a recruit of the guard, trans Anthony Chung of The Miami Herald. “He’s not too shaken up. And obviously he keeps the same expression on his face while he’s out there. So he’s not playing like a rookie.”
- New Hawks the wing Aaron Wiggins talked to Grant Offset of RG.org about what he thinks he and a former Oklahoma City teammate Lugentz is there will bring to Atlanta, noting that it was nice to have a “familiar face” with him as he adjusts to his new NBA home.
- The Hawks have entered into a broadcast deal with Amazon Prime for 2026/27, the team announced today (via Twitter). Local fans in the market will be able to stream Hawks games exclusively on Prime Video next season, making Atlanta the first club to strike such a deal with Amazon.
