Washington Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has made six first-round picks during his three years in charge. And he has a type.
Dawkins seemingly values four things when evaluating prospects: positional versatility, defensive impact, shooting, and long-term upside. Those characteristics are reflected in all six of the first-round picks he’s made since 2023, with some checking more boxes than others.
Does potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, who’s listed as a -[450 favorite to be the No. 1 selection on FanDuel Sportsbook](https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba?tab=nba-draft), fit into those parameters? Let’s take a look at Dawkins’ previous first-round picks and see where Dybantsa’s game fits.
**Versatile wings: Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Will Riley**
Kyshawn George and Will Riley were relatively unknown in the predraft process. But as wings who offered size, positional versatility, shooting potential and long-term upside, both fit Washington’s ideal build.
Bilal Coulibaly — Dawkins’ first pick in D.C. — was selected in large part because of his upside as a defensive-minded wing who could develop an offensive game. The French wing checked every box apart from shooting, an element of his game still in need of development.
Coulibaly wasn’t the seventh-best player in his class in terms of on-court production when he was drafted. But he possessed top-five potential, which enticed Dawkins into drafting him.
Here’s what Washington’s GM said about Coulibaly after the Wizards traded up one spot to select him at No. 7 in 2023.
”We won’t take short-sighted approaches in the draft. We’ll take the guy we think will be the best long-term player, the best long-term fit.”
While Coulibaly only checked three of the four categories — positional versatility, defensive impact and upside — his athleticism popped in workouts, game tape and measurements. Dawkins lauded Coulibaly’s 7-foot-2 wingspan and 99th percentile measurements for height and weight among his position group.
Standing 6-foot-10 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan, Dybantsa offers similarly impressive measurements among forwards. And his athleticism, highlighted by his 42.5-inch maximum vertical, pops even more than Coulibaly’s.
The two are also similar in their deficiencies. Dybantsa’s 33.3% 3PT clip is eerily similar to Coulibaly’s 33.6% mark in 53 games with Mets 92. Despite that low number, Dawkins deemed Coulibaly’s elite athleticism and two-way upside worthy of the No. 7 pick.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he did the same with Dybantsa at No. 1.
Alex Sarr — Washington’s No. 2 pick in 2024 — can defend multiple positions, protects the rim (2.0 blocks per game in 2025-26), is a capable 3-point shooter (33.3% 3PT) and possesses All-Star upside as a two-way forward.
Sarr checked every box Dawkins has traditionally valued, which made him the clear choice at No. 2 in 2024.
Dybantsa isn’t in Sarr’s stratosphere defensively, but his guard-like skills and speed in the open court at his size match that of the 7-footer.
**Offensive-minded prospects: Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson**
Bub Carrington, Washington’s other 2024 lottery pick, and Tre Johnson, last year’s No. 6 selection, were deviations from previous trends. But not in a bad way.
While neither possessed elite defensive skills, Carrington (6-foot-4) and Johnson (6-foot-5) brought good size and could defend both guard positions.
Carrington showed he could play multiple positions — he played both point guard and shooting guard in college — and displayed a willingness to shoot the outside jumper, which translated to a 40.8% 3PT clip in his second NBA season. Johnson scored nearly 20 points per game as a lethal outside shooter (39.9% 3PT) at Texas.
Carrington’s stock numbers — 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks per game — were virtually nonexistent. So were Johnson’s. In fact, both prospects were seen as negative defenders by most draft evaluators.
But that didn’t deter Dawkins from choosing offensive upside over lackluster defensive numbers. And it likely won’t deter Washington’s GM from selecting Dybantsa at No. 1 despite his defensive deficiencies.
Sure, Dybantsa’s stock numbers — 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks per game — aren’t great for a player who stands 6-foot-10 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan. But his offensive production at 25.5 points per game, combined with elite athleticism and guard skills, could easily prove enough for Washington to select him.