In just under a month, the annual NBA Draft will take place inside the Barclays Center.
It is on that day that fans will find out the future of former five-star talent Darryn Peterson. Answering what feels like an age-old question: who will take the top pick, Peterson or AJ Dybantsa?
This battle that has been anything but clear-cut is soon coming to an end
To start last season, Peterson was widely considered the top pick, even drawing NBA Hall of Famer comparisons after just one game against Green Bay. However, Peterson would soon run into a season defined by constant rotations between the starting lineup and the bench thanks to cramping issues. On the year in just 24 games, Peterson averaged 20 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals on a solid 43.8% from the field.
Towards the end of the year, Peterson’s form tapered; however, it was not due to his ability. Often, Peterson would quickly lose height on his jumper due to not being fully healthy, therefore tanking his rates, and his return to the lineup towards the end of the season partially disrupted the flow the team had built without him, as the ball would almost stick to Peterson’s hands and there was little movement around him.
On the other side of the aisle sits AJ Dybantsa.
Last season, Dybantsa led the nation in points per game (25.5), on a 51% from the field along with 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Dybantsa’s season took a big hit when Cougars guard Richie Saunders went down with a season-ending injury that forced the ball even more in Dybantsa’s hands, but on nearly every court he stepped on, Dybantsa would steal the show, doing more than enough to secure the No. 1 spot.
When the NBA Draft lottery was announced earlier this month, it became the consensus that Dybantsa would likely land No. 1 overall. Meaning that the Washington Wizards would land the former Utah Prep product, and that Peterson would make the move to the Utah Jazz.
Rumors immediately started to fly that Dybantsa and his camp wanted to stay in Utah, forcing the Jazz to explore a move where the Wizards would trade down for the Jazz to move up.
Regarding making a trade for Dybantsa, Jazz Governor Ryan Smith was quoted, “Contrary to popular belief. We don't control that. We're trying to win a championship. So everything should be on the table. Austin [Ainge] and Danny [Ainge] have also been known to do some pretty crazy stuff on draft night.”
That quote was published here.
247Sports’ Adam Finkelstein has since come out to say that they expect that Dybantsa won’t “play that sort of game,” meaning that Dybantsa had no problem playing at the nation’s capital.
On3’s latest NBA Mock Draft proves this point with Dybantsa still landing on top going to the Wizards, with Peterson confirming the No. 2 slot.
With plenty of time remaining until the NBA Draft, there is still room for change; however, as each second passes, it feels more and more likely that Peterson will end up out west, which is likelier the better suited team for him, as the Jazz have a solid frontcourt and a backcourt comprising Keyonte George, a rising star in the NBA.
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