BYU took a loss on Tuesday night, but while the team took the loss, AJ Dybantsa once again was stellar. The BYU freshman leads the nation in points per game this year, scoring 25.1 points per game, and has been on a hot streak as of late.
Now, Bill Simmons of The Ringer is talking about his NBA future, and specifically his future in the NBA Draft.
“I think it would be insane not to take him first,” Simmons said.
BYU has never had a player selected first overall in the NBA Draft. Mel Hutchins in 1951 and Shawn Bradley in 1993 were both selected with the second overall picks.
“This is a sure thing. The upside that you could potentially have with (Darryn) Peterson, this chance that he might, this best guard of the last 20 years type of potential, versus what we know were going to get with AJ. I can't believe some of the stuff he is doing,” Simmons continued.
Dybantsa has been the better player this season. Beyond the lack of availability from Peterson, the BYU guard has put up better numbers. He scored nearly six more points per game than Peterson, with three more rebounds and two more assists. Further, he is shooting six percentage points better from the field than the Kansas guard.
Simmons is not the only one who is doubting Peterson. NBA analyst Richard Jefferson has also been critical of Peterson not staying on the court.
“The No. 1 pick in the NBA draft … that person's supposed to be a franchise leader, a person you can build around. … Talent isn't the only thing they evaluate,” Jefferson said.
Simmons was effusive in his praise of the BYU star, calling him “the best athlete in every game he is in.” Still, there is almost no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to the top overall pick. While the top pick has seen stars such as LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Victor Wembanyama, there have also been players such as Greg Oden, Anthony Bennett, and Markelle Fultz.
Simmons still has plenty of time to stump for Dybantsa to be the top overall pick. The first round of the NBA Draft takes place on June 25. Until then, Dybantsa will focus on helping BYU make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
