- 6 weeks ago
AJ Dybantsa has shined incredibly bright during NBA Summer League but now the Wizards face a massive decision. Should Washington shut down AJ Dybantsa for the rest of Summer League?
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00:00You get to play Wizards GM Will Dawkins.
00:02Come on, let's go.
00:03You get to make a decision.
00:04Let's go.
00:05Have you seen enough from A.J. DeBatsa
00:07through the first two summer league games
00:08where you just shut him down and say,
00:10you know what, we've seen everything we need to see.
00:11This is exactly the reason why we drafted him.
00:14He's a superstar.
00:15He's going to score 20-plus points as a rookie.
00:17He gets to the rim effortlessly.
00:20Plays good defense.
00:22Better than some people expected.
00:24Might want to work on the three-point shooting,
00:25but that's a very small sample size.
00:27Well, that's going to take a long time.
00:29He's a dynamic scorer,
00:30and you've seen that through the first two games
00:33of the Vegas summer league.
00:34Yeah, he's going to be great.
00:35Do you play him going forward?
00:36They have a game tonight.
00:37They also have a game scheduled tomorrow
00:39against the L.A. Clippers.
00:40Do you play A.J. DeBatsa more in Vegas summer league,
00:44or do you shut him down?
00:45It's very simple.
00:46I play him.
00:47I play him.
00:48Now I've always been a guy who plays him.
00:49He's young.
00:51First of all, if it was a two-part question,
00:53have I seen enough?
00:54Yes, I've seen enough to know he's going to be
00:58a stud in the league.
00:59Yeah.
00:59We'll see to what extent.
01:01But I still want to see him play.
01:03I still want to see him,
01:04and it's not just selfishly I want to see him as a fan.
01:07I think it helps him be on the court
01:10to play against NBA players.
01:13Not all of them are NBA players,
01:15but there are NBA players,
01:17to also get chemistry with some of his future teammates.
01:20And I understand a lot of the guys he's going to play with
01:23aren't on the court,
01:24but there are a few.
01:25Will Riley is going to be on the court.
01:26Trey Johnson is going to be on the court.
01:28These are guys that are going to be contributors to the Wizards.
01:31So I want to see him play with those guys.
01:33I'm not saying he has to play every game.
01:35How many do they play?
01:36Do they play four total?
01:37They've got four scheduled,
01:39and then after the four scheduled,
01:41it's to be determined.
01:42So is there like a playoff or something?
01:44I don't know.
01:44I don't know how exactly.
01:45Okay, so there's like a playoff,
01:46so he might play one or two more.
01:48I'm not saying he has to play every game,
01:50but I want to see more.
01:52I want him to keep playing.
01:53He's a freaking horse.
01:54Play four or five games at least.
01:55He's 19 years old.
01:56If you want to sit him down tonight
01:57because he had a little bit of a sore leg
01:59at the end of the game,
02:00and you just want to make sure
02:01you don't exacerbate anything, fine.
02:03But then I want him to play tomorrow night.
02:05I want more.
02:06I've seen enough.
02:07I want more.
02:08You're a shut-em-down guy.
02:10I feel like some in the Wizards front office
02:12are probably like, you know what?
02:13We've seen exactly what we needed to see.
02:15We want to put him on ice.
02:17Let's save him for the regular season.
02:19But you know he wants to play.
02:20He's desperate to play.
02:21He loves it.
02:22He's a baller.
02:22I know the answer.
02:23He loves it.
02:24I know the answer,
02:25but I'm going to ask you the question anyway.
02:26Do you care if they were a team
02:29that could win the Vegas Summer League?
02:31I don't care about winning Vegas Summer League
02:33or like in-season.
02:34Is it the NBA Cup?
02:36I don't care about that.
02:37Yeah, what if you're going to...
02:38There's an argument to be made.
02:39I'm not saying that I agree with it,
02:41but there's an argument to be made
02:42that it teaches them how to win games
02:44and that they like winning these games.
02:46That these young guys get in the habit of winning.
02:49I would push back and say,
02:51well, you're only going to have two or three,
02:52maybe four guys that are going to get
02:54any sort of meaningful run
02:55once the regular season starts
02:57and that this Summer League is filled
02:59with a bunch of guys
03:00who are going to wind up in the G League.
03:02So I don't...
03:03Like, I want to see him develop chemistry
03:04with Trey Young and Anthony Davis
03:08and Alex Sar,
03:09the guys he's going to be playing with
03:10night in, night out.
03:11I just want him to keep getting better.
03:12Once the regular season starts.
03:13Just keep getting better.
03:14You're playing NBA-style basketball.
03:16They're not all going to be in the league.
03:18We get that.
03:1980% won't be.
03:20But, you know,
03:21this is real competition.
03:23You're playing with some of your future teammates.
03:26You've got some of your coaches there.
03:27Let's get out of him.
03:28Like, he's young.
03:30He's built like a tank.
03:32He looks amazing.
03:33The fear of injuries...
03:34We can't live in fear.
03:35It's always going to be there,
03:35but he's going to be playing games anyway.
03:37Yeah.
03:38They play pickup games.
03:39Yeah.
03:40So the whole thing is
03:41they've been playing all along.
03:43So what's the difference?
03:44This one has referees.
03:46Like, you can get hurt in pickup,
03:50which he's playing anyway.
03:51That's how Alex Sar broke his foot.
03:52Right.
03:53He broke his foot,
03:54scrimmaging with the guys
03:55and working out with the guys.
03:56Great point.
03:56He wasn't playing Summer League
03:57with referees.
03:59This one actually is more controlled
04:01because there's referees.
04:02You have to take that out of the equation.
04:04If I'm the Wizards
04:04and I already have Sar banged up,
04:06that's even more reason for me to say,
04:08well, we've already got Sar
04:09who's questionable to start the season
04:11even though we're putting it out there
04:12that we're confident he's going to be ready.
04:15That would even solidify my decision
04:18to shut down A.J. to Boston.
04:19I want to hear from Wizards fans.
04:20800-636-1067.
04:22The time for passive listening is over.
04:25I want to hear from you.
04:26If you're a diehard fan,
04:27do you want to see more
04:29knowing it's sure he could get hurt?
04:31Sure he could.
04:32Do you want to see more?
04:33I want to see more.
04:34So last night,
04:35you had Summer League action
04:37and I was curious
04:39because I knew the Wizards weren't playing.
04:41So I'm like,
04:41well, who's on?
04:42And it was Bulls Jazz.
04:43I was like, oh,
04:44Cam Boozer against Darren Peterson.
04:47No, against Caleb Wilson.
04:48You're getting your guys mixed up.
04:49Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:50Sorry, sorry.
04:51But Darren Peterson did not play.
04:54Yeah.
04:55So Peterson has played...
04:56But he's played in at least four.
04:59Peterson's played in four.
05:00Well, they played in over two weeks.
05:01They played in Utah.
05:03Yes.
05:03Right.
05:06I know he's missed at least two games.
05:07Yeah, but Boozer did play Wilson.
05:08Sorry, I was confused.
05:09Boozer played...
05:10And Boozer's played in at least three.
05:12Right.
05:13I think the kid's born to play.
05:15He's a born baller.
05:17He's born to do this.
05:18He's going to play anyway.
05:19He has no interest.
05:20Yeah.
05:20If you don't play him this game,
05:22he's going to find some gym somewhere
05:23and he's going to shoot and work out,
05:24whatever.
05:26Find some pickup game.
05:27He's not going to be in bubble wrap
05:30until they play the first regular season game.
05:33Would you play him in the preseason kicks?
05:36Sparingly.
05:37I wouldn't play him a lot.
05:40What's the point?
05:41Just to get a rhythm with the guys.
05:43He can get a rhythm with the guys during workouts.
05:45Whatever Keyshawn plays.
05:46Practice during the summer.
05:47Whatever Will Riley plays.
05:49Yeah.
05:50Whatever those guys do, he should do.
05:53Now, who would I have in bubble wrap?
05:56AD.
05:57AD you can have in bubble wrap.
05:59He's 33 years old.
06:01He's had an injury-plagued career.
06:03You want to try to get 50, 60 games out of him
06:06if you can.
06:07Proven track record of getting hurt.
06:09This kid, he's just a baby.
06:11I want to hear from the Wizards fans.
06:13All the people who are fired up at the anthem.
06:15Of course, everybody can get hurt.
06:16Everybody will get hurt.
06:17When we did the show from the anthem,
06:18there were thousands of people there
06:20fired up for them to draft A.J. DeBonsa.
06:22You got to see A.J. DeBonsa
06:24against Darren Peterson
06:26in the first game against Utah Jazz,
06:28and he was the best player on the court.
06:29You got to see him in the second game,
06:31and he was, you know,
06:33he's missed a bunch of threes,
06:34but he was showing that he's a damn good scorer.
06:38He was electric on the court, right?
06:41Do you shut him down like cakes,
06:43or do you want to just see the kid play?
06:45Hold on.
06:46You got to get, like, you play to get better.
06:48Selfishly, I would love to see him play,
06:51because I'm a Wizards fan.
06:52I'm coming at it from the perspective of
06:54what is the team going to do?
06:56I feel like the team has seen enough
06:58in the first two games to say,
07:00you know what, we don't need to see him
07:01against Caleb Wilson or against the Clippers.
07:04We've seen enough in the first two games.
07:06Well, they already know he's going to be great.
07:07They already know that.
07:08Yeah.
07:08That's a given.
07:09But I think they knew that before they drafted him.
07:12Just keep getting better.
07:14More reps.
07:15More better.
07:16I think so.
07:18I mean, there's a reason they're doing the Summer League.
07:21Sure.
07:22They want to see the eyes.
07:23They have goals for Summer League,
07:25and I feel like their goals for DeBotso
07:27were to confirm why they drafted him,
07:30see why they picked him number one overall
07:32over Darren Peterson,
07:33and they saw that in the first two games.
07:36Would you play him?
07:36No, no, I'm serious.
07:37We got to hear from diehard Wizards fans.
07:40Would you play him?
07:41Valdez.
07:42He's played two.
07:43He's played great.
07:44He's passed every test.
07:47Yes, I would.
07:49Yes, I would.
07:50It's not the NFL.
07:51If this was the NFL,
07:53the physical nature of that,
07:54the toll that the NFL takes on you,
07:56the hitting,
07:57I mean, literally,
07:58where you get injured on every play,
08:00that's different.
08:01I'd rather him play in a controlled environment
08:04than play in an uncontrolled environment
08:07where there's no refs.
08:08Right.
08:09You can't sub them out.
08:11You'll be somewhat protected.
08:12Yeah.
08:12You actually protect him more
08:15playing than you do
08:17just letting him go get reps anywhere.
08:19Yes.
08:19And you get to see his skill set more.
08:21So,
08:21Tim McMahon from ESPN
08:25said he questions
08:26the fit of A.J.
08:28DeBonsa with Trey Young.
08:29Right?
08:29And we're not going to see them on the court together.
08:31What he said was Trey Young,
08:33despite being a three-point shooter,
08:34has never shown an interest
08:35or much of an ability to be an off-ball player.
08:38So,
08:38I don't know how that's going to fit.
08:39He's a great pick-and-roll creator,
08:40but you don't draft a Bonsa number one
08:42to have him spot up on the weak side of the floor.
08:45You want that guy with the ball in his hands,
08:47and you want him going downhill and developing that.
08:49I think he's a guy who can score 25 or 30 a game quickly.
08:53All right?
08:53So,
08:54the more you see him on the court,
08:56the more the coaching staff can figure out
08:59how to use him.
09:01I play him.
09:02I play him.
09:03He can learn how to handle doubles and triples.
09:06I mean,
09:07he's getting double and triple teamed
09:09at times during these games.
09:10It's great.
09:11He learned how to react to it even better.
09:13And he knows how to get his teammates involved.
09:14EB was surprised.
09:15I think you said you were surprised by his handles.
09:18His size, yes.
09:19And see,
09:19what I see eventually down the road is
09:22Trey Young being phased out to an extent.
09:25And so,
09:26he can show his skill set,
09:28or the coaching staff can gain confidence
09:30in certain things that he does.
09:32Man,
09:32they're going to shut down Will Riley, too?
09:34I mean,
09:34Will Riley's proven he's a huge piece of this puzzle.
09:37He already proved it all last season.
09:39Under cake's theory,
09:39he wouldn't play.
09:40Yeah.
09:41Under cake's theory,
09:42I guess he wouldn't play anybody
09:43who played last season.
09:44I like that with baseball.
09:44Would you play in baseball?
09:46It was baseball.
09:47If A.J. DeBonson was playing for the Nats,
09:48and he had two bombs,
09:50and he had two doubles,
09:51and he stole two bases,
09:52I find it nearly impossible
09:53to get hurt playing baseball.
09:54Right,
09:55because nobody gets hurt.
09:56They get hurt all the time.
09:57Compared to like the NFL and the NBA.
09:58They get hurt all the time.
09:59I just feel like the NBA's more dangerous.
10:00If he was a gnat,
10:02you'd play him?
10:03Oh,
10:03I'd play him.
10:04All right.
10:04Not to J.P.'s extent,
10:06right?
10:06He wanted to rehab Strasburg in the majors.
10:09What if he was a prodigy golfer?
10:11A golfer you can't get hurt.
10:12I mean,
10:13come on.
10:13What if he was a soccer player?
10:15What if he was...
10:17Soccer's a lot of running.
10:19Yeah,
10:19he'd probably be in the mix
10:20along with basketball and football.
10:22All right,
10:23let's go to James.
10:24Hey,
10:24if AJ DeBasa,
10:26God forbid,
10:27please don't let this happen,
10:28snaps his ankle tonight.
10:29Don't say it,
10:30Kate.
10:30If that happens,
10:32I don't want to hear you guys backtracking
10:35because you guys are like,
10:37just let him play.
10:38Why would I backtrack?
10:39He's 19 years old.
10:40He's infallible.
10:41It can happen.
10:42I'm keeping the receipts here.
10:44I'm keeping those receipts.
10:46keep the receipts.
10:47Are you okay with him practicing?
10:49Yes.
10:50What's the difference?
10:51Do you know that they play five on five in practice?
10:54I understand.
10:55So what's the difference?
10:56Explain to me the difference.
10:57You have to practice.
10:58You don't have to play in exhibition games necessarily
11:01when you've already shined in two exhibition games
11:04and shown everybody exactly why you were
11:06number one overall pick.
11:07I know.
11:08Explain the difference of him playing five on five.
11:11There is no difference.
11:13All right.
11:14Other than you have to practice
11:16to be able to play in the games.
11:17And I am big on practicing for playing
11:20in meaningful games.
11:21Right now,
11:22the Vegas Summer League is meaning less.
11:25But isn't the likelihood of injury the same in both?
11:28The first two games were meaningful
11:29because we hadn't seen it.
11:31Now we have some history,
11:32some data points to point to.
11:34But my point is,
11:36isn't the likelihood of the injury,
11:38your fractured ankle or whatever you came up with,
11:41God forbid,
11:42the same in five on five practice,
11:44which is not with referees versus a summer league game.
11:47I need to run the computations.
11:49Or some random pickup game that he might play in somewhere.
11:51Because as EB mentioned,
11:53Alex Sarr got hurt.
11:54That wasn't in a summer league game.
11:55I'm well aware.
11:56All right,
11:57James,
11:57what do you think?
12:00James,
12:01come on,
12:01buddy.
12:01It's your chance to shine.
12:03Oh,
12:03did I,
12:03did I,
12:04you there?
12:05I hear him.
12:06Sounds like he was there for a bit.
12:07I hear him.
12:08And he's bailed.
12:09Hey,
12:09that's you,
12:10bud.
12:10Hello.
12:10That's you.
12:11Oh,
12:12I'm Jamie,
12:13not James,
12:13but whatever.
12:14Okay,
12:14whatever.
12:16So,
12:17EB,
12:17what's up?
12:18Hey,
12:18what's up?
12:18What's up?
12:19Nervous Nellie Cakes.
12:20How you doing,
12:20man?
12:21Hello.
12:22Anyway,
12:23like JP was saying,
12:24you can get hurt in practice.
12:26I mean,
12:26look at,
12:26look at the NFL.
12:28Guys are tearing Achilles and out for the year in,
12:30in,
12:31in training camp.
12:32He's got to have the reps.
12:33I'm not an avid Wizards fan.
12:35I don't watch the games.
12:36I did watch last year just to see the train wreck and for betting purposes.
12:41But this kid is a generational player.
12:44I think kind of like Jaden.
12:46And we were all like,
12:47okay,
12:47we've seen enough.
12:48Let's not put him back out there.
12:49We don't want him to get hurt.
12:50He got hurt in a regular season.
12:52It happens.
12:53But this kid needs the reps.
12:55And I think he should play the whole summer league.
12:57And if they win the summer league,
12:58good.
12:58If not,
12:59you know,
13:00he's also playing against other rookies.
13:02Let,
13:02let the guy get some reps and we'll see how he does in October,
13:05November.
13:06Perfect.
13:06All right.
13:06Thank you,
13:07James.
13:07Appreciate you.
13:08I'm not saying he has,
13:09or Jamie,
13:09I'm not saying he has to play every game.
13:12You know,
13:12you can pick your spots.
13:14You can rest him tonight.
13:15You know,
13:15he strained his leg a little bit towards the end of the game,
13:17whatever it was.
13:19He could sit out tonight.
13:20But he should play tomorrow.
13:21He's already showing signs of wear and tear.
13:23You're going to grind him down in the Vegas summer league.
13:25I don't think it's wear and tear.
13:26I just think,
13:27you know,
13:28whatever.
13:29Injured it a little bit.
13:30They better not load manage this year.
13:32It's going to be so annoying.
13:33I mean,
13:34Keyshawn George played half the season.
13:35Can you imagine?
13:35I get it.
13:36It's because you're tanking,
13:37right?
13:37So,
13:37you know,
13:38if anybody had a hangnail,
13:39they weren't going to play him.
13:41Right.
13:41But these guys,
13:42Alex Sarr,
13:43Keyshawn George,
13:44all of them should play minimum 70 games.
13:48Can you imagine?
13:49You've got,
13:49you buy five or six tickets or 10 games or you get a 13 game or you get some partial
13:53ticket.
13:54But he didn't play like two or three of them because they're holding them out.
13:57Can you imagine that?
13:58I'm being furious.
14:00All right.
14:00We'll continue to take your calls when we come back.
14:02800-636-1067.
14:04You're playing the Wizards GM.
14:06Do you continue to play AJ DeBonta in the Vegas summer league?
14:10Or have you seen enough through the first two games?
14:12Do you play AJ going forward in Vegas summer league?
14:17We'll take your calls on that next here on the fan.
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