NBA Notebook: Top draft prospect AJ Dybantsa shines in Boston homecoming

BOSTON -- Connecticut coach Dan Hurley found AJ Dybantsa after BYU ran out of time in their 20-point comeback attempt over the team that's won two of the last three national championships. He saw how Dybantsa persevered through a 4-point first half, a crowd of roaring Huskies fans only 80 miles from UConn's campus, and even heckling like overrated chants that didn't exactly make it a homecoming game. Dybantsa played in TD Garden and other NBA arenas before, he reflected after the game, but not an atmosphere like this one. 

"Just the growth and his approach. Sometimes you watch these kids, they come into college, these high draft picks over the course of years and years," Hurley said. "You can see on film the spoiled entitlement, the not guarding, the not being about team. So on the lead-up watching the film, I think maybe in the Nebraska exhibition, there were a couple possessions where he's leaking out, not getting on the glass, then I'm watching the evolution from game-to-game to tonight, this guy's out there guarding, he's on the backboard communicating with his teammates. He's playing with a level of desperation to win the game. For a guy that's maybe gonna be the No. 1 pick, it's refreshing to see the mental toughness. His first half was a mess and for him to be able to put that behind him back home and put that second-half performance on was as good as you'll see from a freshman, and I told him that."

Dybantsa, a Brockton native who's among the highest-regarded NBA prospects in recent memory, shot 8-for-13, 2-for-3 from deep, reached the free throw line 10 times and grabbed two steals as the Cougars rallied throughout the second half. During the late stages of the game, he delivered difficult step-throughs, post finishes and flashed a pull-up three he utilizes sparingly to execute. His full-court pressure forced a key UConn turnover and his pressure on the rim helped him see shots go through at the free-throw line early before his late emergence. In a Celtics season that Jayson Tatum will miss most of and Boston faces uncertain fortunes in, Dybantsa and other top prospects Cam Boozer (Duke) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) have inspired fans to dream of lottery luck and the merits of a tank. As of Monday, the Celtics stood in a tie for the 12th spot in the odds with Chicago and Orlando, who traded their pick to Memphis. That carries a 4.8% chance at a top-four pick and 1.0% odds of rising up to No. 1. 

Brad Stevens said Boston began this season with the intention of giving their best effort every night, and they sit at 7-7 with Cleaning the Glass placing them two wins below where they should be based on their statistical output. They're a top-eight offense and defense, the only team in the Eastern Conference who can say that. Yet the standings remain so tight and the Celtics' depth maintains carry enough questions to make the merits of a brief playoff appearance versus a top-10 pick worth debating. The team, obviously, won't entertain that option. The front office has stated openly that their focus is on getting Tatum back on the floor and building toward that return. Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White attended BYU-UConn and Joe Mazzulla watched it, intrigued by the coaching layers and caliber of the competition. 

For whatever reason, few around Boston could look away from the potential on display Friday. And Dybantsa, for his part, acknowledged the calls from Celtics fans on social media, hoping that the team can land him. While noting uncertainty in the lottery, Dybantsa believed he could fit in next to Tatum and Brown during an interview for Red Bull. They are two players he's rooted for as a lifelong Celtics fan and has received advice from. 

"If the basketball gods ever made that work out, I think that we all three play similar positions," Dybantsa said. "I think we can each player the guard or the wing, so if it ever happened, I think their games complement each other well, Tatum and Brown, and I think I am pretty adaptable and I am pretty flexible to play multiple positions, so I think that it really wouldn't hurt anybody's game, I think it would only enhance it if it came down to that." 

Dybantsa, born in January, 2007, attended his first Celtics game during the 2008 championship season. He wore Kevin Garnett's No. 5 as his first NBA uniform and grew up on the Isaiah Thomas years. He attended St. Sebastian's in Needham for two years before moving to California, then Utah for prep years. Head coach Kevin Young, who coached Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix, inspired Dybantsa to choose BYU in part due to his NBA coaching style and connection to Durant, Dybantsa's favorite player. Wayne Pratt, Durant's father, told Dybantsa when he was young that he reminded him of Durant. Dybantsa stands 6-9 with a 6-11 wingspan and 8-10 standing reach. 

So far, he flashes more of a traditional power forward's game with a back-to-the-basket approach, turnaround jumpers, cutting finishes above the rim and a lethal open floor game. He handles well for someone in that mold, though, and shot 4-for-10 to begin the year from three. His defense should grow given his frame, and while BYU sat in a zone to begin Saturday's game, they mixed into some matchup looks and man later, along with the press that almost turned the game around. Former teammates and Young noted him playing an unselfish approach on offense, willing to get off the ball, empower others who have it going and he's a willing passer. The environment seemed to force him to press early, dribbling into unfavorable situations and trying to attack UConn's sturdy defense head-on. The Garden roared at each mistake and UConn breakout score. The game almost got out of hand. 

"Just being calm," Dybantsa said. "Coach K.Y. ... was telling me let it come to you, don't try to force it and that's exactly what I did. It was just something I felt, just taking what they give me. If they're gonna force me middle, I'm just gonna take the middle, I'm not gonna try to force it baseline. They're the shots I work on every single day at 6:30, so I'm just trying to shoot those shots." 

UConn escaped with a win after BYU guard Robert Wright III lost the ball on an attempted handoff play with Dybantsa trailing by three with 12 seconds left. Trailing by four points on the next possessions, they could only manage a put-back with 0.1 seconds left. Dybansta, who moments ago flexed, yelling and stared into the crowd after an and-one finish, untucked his jersey and sat on the bench alone awaiting the replay on how much time remained. He already seemed to be processing the moments that made the team fall short, his slow first half, a dropped rebound trailing 77-70 with three minutes left and his own three misses at the line on the parquet floor. 

It's improbable the Celtics will gain positioning to draft him in June. The Wizards, Pacers, Pelicans, and Nets all started below .200. Those four teams, along with the Kings and Grizzlies, were all on at least four-game losing streaks until Brooklyn's win over Washington on Sunday, which made the Wizards losers of 11 straight. Kyle Korver, Atlanta's assistant GM, attended Saturday's showcase since the Hawks own the Pelicans' pick, unprotected, from the Dejounte Murray trade. Indiana continues to lose players to injury alongside Tyrese Haliburton. It's also far from impossible, and Celtics fans and Dybantsa sound willing to dream. Last season, Dallas gained Cooper Flagg with a 1.8% chance. 

“My hometown acknowledges me and they see my talent and obviously they want me to play and represent my hometown,” Dybantsa said. “The lottery does what it does. The NBA does what it does. It's not my choice to play for whatever team, so I'm just gonna be grateful for whoever drafts me, whenever that is, and I'm just gonna make the most out of every opportunity if that's Boston or if it's not."

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston (7-7): Statistically two wins below where they should be due to crunch time losses at home and on the road against Philadelphia, a late rebounding meltdown in Detroit, and at home against the Jazz. The Celtics also showed an ability to blow out undermanned teams like the Grizzlies at home on Wednesday, a 36-point rout on the second half of a back-to-back before three days off. Boston played 13 games in 22 days to begin the season, and now receives a lighter stretch with a home-and-home against Brooklyn on Tuesday and Friday. They survived a late Clippers rally from 24 to within three for Boston's third crunch time win in eight tries. Joe Mazzulla said Hugo González will stay with Boston for now as the Maine Celtics begin their season led by Ron Harper Jr., Amari Williams and Max Shulga. Former Celtic (2013-15) Phil Pressey will coach Maine, having spent the previous two seasons on Mazzulla's staff. 

Brooklyn (2-11): Enter this week's home-and-home with the Celtics down Cam Thomas (hamstring), ranking last in defense and 24th in offense as they begin another rebuilding year. Only Michael Porter Jr. (24.1 PPG) and Nic Claxton (15.2 PPG) have averaged double-figures outside of Thomas for Brooklyn. Rookie Egor Dёmin began playing more this past week as several of his teammates from his class spent time with the G-League. Dёmin shot 10-for-25 from three and scored double-figures twice across his last five games. 

Chicago (6-6): Coby White (calf) made his season debut, scoring 27 points with eight assists in a 150-147 overtime loss to Utah. He planned to play in roughly three out of the team's five games over the week-long stretch. Josh Giddey (ankle) returned with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists after missing two games with an ankle sprain suffered while getting crossed up by De'Andre Hunter in a loss to Cleveland. Chicago have lost five straight after emerging as one of the best teams in the east through the opening week of the season. They now rank 20th in net rating for the season. 

Dallas (4-10): Fired GM Nico Harrison only nine months after he traded Luka Dončić to the Lakers in what could go down as the worst trade in sports history. Fan pressure became too overwhelming and distracting as the Mavs struggled enormously through Kyrie Irving's absence and Anthony Davis' calf injury to begin this season. Harrison defended the move despite widespread criticism both for trading Dončić and not shopping him beyond his private conversations with LA's Rob Pelinka. Owner Patrick Dumont held court with a Mavs fan wearing a Dončić Lakers jersey the night before Harrison's firing, reportedly apologizing to the fan for the trade, and in a letter to fans the next day acknowledged the difficult recent months without mentioning the Dončić trade. Assistant GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will take over the front office for now. Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg admitted he may not have been ready for point guard minutes early this season and Dumont reportedly shut down an effort by Harrison to expedite Davis' return from a calf injury. Davis will now remain out indefinitely until the team receives confirmation he's safe to begin ramping up. Davis has missed nine straight games, and expects to sit out 7-10 more days. 

Denver (10-2): Christian Braun (ankle) will miss at least six weeks after a sprain in the Nuggets' win over the Clippers last Wednesday. Braun played after a collision with James Harden, who stepped on his foot, before missing the second half. He averaged 11.4 PPG through Denver's first 11 games. Peyton Watson started the Nuggets' following win over the Timberwolves and scored 12 points in a game where Denver's four other starters managed 20 or more each. Cam Johnson missed the game with a biceps injury. Nikola Jokić, trying to surpass new heights from last year, averaged 28.7 PPG, 13.0 RPG and 10.9 APG on 67.2% shooting (42.6% 3PT) through the first 12 games. 

Detroit (11-2): Winners of nine straight, standing 2.5 games over the Knicks atop the East. Cade Cunningham broke the NBA record for misses in a game in a 46-point triple-double as the Pistons outlasted Washington while he shot 14-for-45. He's averaging 27.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 9.9 APG, and could enter MVP discussions despite shooting only 40% from the field. Former Celtic Javonte Green has played a significant role during the streak, posting 8.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG while starting in the last three wins. He scored a double-double against Washington before dropping 21 points in a short-handed win over the 76ers. Tobias Harris (ankle) remains without a timetable to return, while Jaden Ivey (knee) took part in the team's shootaround on Friday. 

Golden State (9-6)/San Antonio (9-4): Steph Curry scored 40+ points for the 44th time since turning 30, tying Michael Jordan for the record in the second half of his career. Curry flashed a 2-3 sign with his fingers after hitting his ninth three of the game in a win over the Spurs, where he finished with 49. He returned from missing three games with an illness on Tuesday and initially struggled with his wind in an 11-point return that ended in a blowout loss to the Thunder. Golden State won despite a hilarious highlight where Draymond Green tried to dig into Victor Wembanyama defensively in the post, only for the Spurs big to turn, catch and lob and dunk over Green through a foul before screaming in his face. De'Aaron Fox, averaging 20.5 PPG on 50% shooting in four games back from his hamstring injury, missed the potential game-winning shot at the end of the 109-108 Warriors win. 

Houston (9-3): Kevin Durant (35 pts) and Alperen Şengün (30) led an overtime win over the Magic and have scored nine victories over their last 10 games. Tari Eason (oblique) will miss 4-6 weeks with a strain he suffered in a blowout Rockets win over the Blazers on Friday. He left in the first half and did not return. Houston initially reported a hip contusion. Eason averaged 11.5 PPG and 5.2 RPG through 11 games. The Rockets recalled JD Davison, who scored 26 points with 13 assists in the G-League for Rio Grande Valley the previous night. He has been active for Houston regularly while playing sparingly. 

Indiana (1-12): Off to the worst start in franchise history after seven straight losses, including double-digit defeats to Denver, Golden State, Utah, Phoenix, and Toronto. The Pacers are last in offense and 26th in defense as their season goes off the rails due in large part to injuries. Their health situation worsened when Aaron Nesmith fell with a knee injury that'll cost him roughly four weeks, according to Rick Carlisle, who expressed relief that Nesmith won't miss more time. The team upgraded Bennedict Mathurin (toe) to questionable for Monday's game at Detroit, while Johnny Furphy (ankle), Quenton Jackson (hamstring), Kam Jones (back) and Obi Toppin (foot) remain out. 

Clippers (4-9): Lost for the eighth time in 10 games on Sunday in Boston after their 24-point comeback fell one shot short of forcing overtime on a clever play with one second remaining to set up a James Harden three going full court in one second. Harden poured in 37 points with seven rebounds and eight assists, shooting 9-for-22 while facing fierce defensive ball pressure from Jordan Walsh. Still, Harden only fell to 50% from the field for the season while averaging 26.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 9.0 APG with Kawhi Leonard (foot/ankle) missing and Bradley Beal (hip) done for the season. Leonard joined the team in Boston and ran the TD Garden stairs before the game. Derrick Jones Jr. left the loss after a collision between Jaylen Brown and Jones' right knee. Jones did not return after receiving help to the locker room and Ty Lue did not have an update post-game. 

Lakers (10-4): This happened in 2025. Bronny James started a Lakers blowout win over the Bucks with LeBron James on assignment with G-League South Bay as he enters the final stages of his recovery from sciatica. Bronny scored 0 points in 10 minutes. LA recalled James over the weekend and he's expected to practice with the pro team on Monday, likely setting up his season debut sometime this week. He responded well to his workouts with South Bay. Meanwhile, the Lakers managed a 16th-ranked offense and 14th-ranked defense without him. Luka Dončić's MVP-level tear continued with 41 points at the Bucks and 12 assists in New Orleans. He's averaging 34.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 8.9 APG through 10 games. Dončić reacted to the Mavs firing Nico Harrison, mostly steering clear of the topic. 

"The city of Dallas, the fans, the players, they'll always have a special place in my heart," Dončić said. "I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn't. So that will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home. But right now, I'm focused on the Lakers and trying to move on. But obviously, always there will be a part of me there." 

The NBA has asked the Lakers, among other teams, to hand over documents and devices as part of an ongoing league investigation into gambling activity. At least 10 Lakers staffers are reportedly involved in the probe, ranging from a trainer to an administrator. Multiple employees reportedly targeted in the probe joined the team due in part to their ties to LeBron James. James associate Damon Jones allegedly sold the health status of multiple players to gamblers, including a Player 3 who closely resembles James. 

Memphis (4-10): Lost their fourth straight game after Ja Morant left the first quarter against the Cavs with right calf soreness after returning from an ankle ailment that kept him out of a blowout loss at Boston. The Grizzlies appear headed toward the end of an era through a tumultuous and disappointing start to this season, with sparsely available and suspended for one game following an altercation with head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Memphis ranks 26th in offense, 20th in defense and now sports an 8-15 record under Iisalo. Zach Edey (ankle) made his season debut on Saturday with 13 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the loss at Cleveland. Javon Small (toe) will miss three weeks. 

Miami (7-6): Tyler Herro (foot) feels poised to make his season debut soon after participating in practice on Sunday. Herro told reporters his foot feels better and hopes to return to the Heat's lineup in 1-2 weeks. Bam Adebayo (toe) missed his sixth straight game (3-3), a high-scoring loss to the Knicks, on Friday. He said he's dealing with a lot less pain after the practice session, which he also participated in. The Heat assigned rookie Kasparas Jakučionis after he received limited opportunities to begin his first season. 

New Orleans (2-11): Fired head coach Willie Green after the Pelicans began the season 0-6 and continued to deal with Zion Williamson's injuries. Green coached the Pelicans to a 150-190 record with playoff appearances in 2022 and 2024. Joe Dumars said the team's inability to find an identity, rather than a wins-loss record, contributed to Green's firing. Associate head coach James Borrego will serve as the interim head coach, losing his first game 124-106 to the Warriors. He's expected to complete the season in that role. There's some hope for a turnaround in New Orleans over that timespan, with rookie Derik Queen emerging as a productive starter, Jeremiah Fears showing potential in the back court along with veterans Jordan Poole (quad) and Dejounte Murray (Achilles) expected to return in the near future. Organizationally, the franchise is reeling most from the Murray trade, which exposed their first-round pick this season, unprotected to the Hawks. 

New York (8-4): OG Anunoby (hamstring) will miss at least two weeks after leaving the Knicks' win over the Heat in the first quarter. He joins Jalen Brunson (ankle) on the sideline, who missed the game as well with a sprain he suffered against the Magic. Brunson is considered day-to-day. The Knicks have emerged as the league's third-best offense under Mike Brown, and rank fourth in net rating as the best mark in the east ahead of Detroit despite a worse record and the 16th-best defense. New York visits Boston on Dec. 2. 

Oklahoma City (13-1): Winners of five straight, all by double-digits, and though that hasn't created much separation for even a home court seed in the loaded west, they look unstoppable at times. They're fifth in offense, first in defense by a laughable 6.6 points per 100 possessions over the second-place Nuggets, and they haven't seen Jalen Williams (wrist) play once. Last week, they held Ja Morant and Steph Curry to 11 points each, and Luka Dončić managed only 19 in a 29-point Lakers loss. Up next: likely wins over the Pelicans, Kings and Jazz before a rematch with the Blazers, the only team to beat Oklahoma City so far, on Sunday. 

Orlando (7-7): Paolo Banchero (groin) missed Friday's win over the Nets and their overtime battle with the Rockets on Sunday, a 117-113 loss. The Magic did not set a timetable for his return, citing a need to assess his response to treatment. Orlando visits Boston on Sunday after splitting a pair of games they played earlier this month in Florida. Since, the Magic have won 3-of-4, improving to 12th in offense and 15th in defense. Banchero struggled with efficiency to begin the year, averaging 21.7 PPG on 50% FG (25% 3PT). Jalen Suggs (groin) did not play on Sunday in Houston and has missed three games early this season for Orlando. 

Philadelphia (7-5): Kelly Oubre Jr. (LCL) is out indefinitely though his exit from the lineup could coincide almost exactly with Paul George's return after the team upgraded the start to questionable ahead of Clippers-Sixers on Monday in Philadelphia. He'll make his season debut in the game, according to Shams Charania. Oubre averaged 16.8 PPG on 50% shooting to begin the season in a starting role. He scored double-figures in every game until exiting Friday's loss with the injury. Joel Embiid (knee) has missed three straight games with soreness in the right knee opposite of the one that cost him most of last season. Embiid participated fully in practice on Sunday, according to the team, but will miss the Clippers game. Jared McCain played with the G-League Delaware Blue Coats to find rhythm in his return from knee and thumb surgery. He averaged 12.5 PPG and 4.5 APG in the two appearances. Depth big Adem Bona will miss at least three games with an ankle sprain.