AJ Dybantsa ruled out for Wizards’ opener against the Bucks with an ankle injury

AJ Dybantsa’s NBA debut will have to wait. The Washington Wizards have ruled out the No. 1 overall pick for Wednesday’s season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks because of an ankle injury. Coach Brian Keefe said Tuesday that Dybantsa will be considered day-to-day after that, per Josh Robbins.

Dybantsa rolled the ankle in the preseason finale, and Keefe had called him day-to-day without committing to him for the opener.

When he does return, he will join a lineup that has split rival scouts, according to Robbins. Some evaluators think playing next to Trae Young will give the rookie easier scoring chances. Others wonder whether Young’s ball-handling role will limit Dybantsa’s growth as a creator.

“Ideally, you put the ball in his hands, and you let him figure it out,” one scout said. Another evaluator called the presence of Young and Anthony Davis a “massive positive” because Dybantsa will not have to “shoulder the burden of creating a ton of offense for himself.”