Wizards' top pick Dybantsa out for second straight game against Raptors

WASHINGTON · The Washington Wizards have ruled top overall pick AJ Dybantsa out for Friday's home game against the Toronto Raptors with a left ankle sprain. It will be the second consecutive missed game for the 19-year-old rookie, who also sat out Washington's season-opening win over Milwaukee. Head coach Brian Keefe has listed Dybantsa as day-to-day, with his next chance to play coming Saturday when the Wizards visit the Chicago Bulls. The Wizards announced the news on Thursday, confirming the rookie's status for the 7 p.m. ET tip-off. Dybantsa suffered the injury in the second quarter of Washington's preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans last Friday, twisting his ankle on a midrange shot attempt and not returning. He made four preseason appearances, averaging 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals in 21.7 minutes per game.

Washington fared well without its new phenom in its opener, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 128-116 on Wednesday. Anthony Davis led the way in his Wizards debut with 34 points and 12 rebounds, matching Antawn Jamison's 2004 total for the most points in a franchise debut. "It felt great," Davis said. "It's been nine months since I played a real game so it felt really good to be out on the floor and compete again, with these guys."

Trae Young added 20 points and 13 assists in the victory, with Kyshawn George scoring 18, Bilal Coulibaly 11, Deandre Ayton 11 and Bub Carrington 10. Justin Champagnie noted the raised atmosphere inside Capital One Arena. "It was amazing. Probably the most hype I've seen the gym since I've been here," Champagnie said. "You can see the difference. You can feel the difference when you walk in the gym."

Dybantsa, selected first overall out of BYU in June, is Washington's first No. 1 pick since John Wall in 2010. The 6-foot-9 forward has said he appreciates the unique situation of joining a veteran-laden team. "I feel like there's not a lot of pressure on me because I have such a great team around me," Dybantsa said via The Athletic. "A lot of No. 1 picks come into a situation where they are 'The Guy' (and) everything's kind of centered around them. But I have All-Star Hall of Famers on my team that I can (learn) under." Alongside Dybantsa, the Wizards' injury report for Friday lists Felix Okpara as questionable with an illness, while Tristan Vukčević (left hip impingement) and Jamir Watkins (left ACL recovery) are out.

With files from Sportsnet, PrizePicks and THE BIG 1050