With the NBA Draft inching closer and closer, not much has been discussed about what would happen if the Utah Jazz win the lottery. If they do, there's a compelling case for them to take the best player available, no matter what, and the one who may fit that bill better than anyone is AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa is a rare archetype of a player, as he is an oversized point guard who shares similar traits of former Jazz playoff rival Tracy McGrady, meaning he's got superstar in the making all over him. The Athletic's Tony Jones, a former Jazz reporter, revealed his belief that if Utah got their hands on him, they would win a title within three years.
That's right, not in the converation, but NBA Champions.
Wow.
That really is setting the bar super high, but that speaks to how good and how NBA-ready Dybantsa is now (note that it took his NBA comp, McGrady, a few years to become a superstar). However, a top six of him along with Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Ace Bailey, and Walker Kessler could vault the Jazz up to title contenders in no time.
It wouldn't necessarily be next year, but Utah plans to do a 180 as soon as possible, so if they get their hands on Dybantsa, there's no telling how far he can take them.
Jazz are already well-positioned to have best season in ages
Even without a future lottery pick coming their way, Utah already has the makings of a playoff contender. Besides the aforementioned players, the Jazz will likely bring back Jusuf Nurkic on top of the likes of Isaiah Collir, Brice Sensabaugh, Kyle Filipowski, Cody Williams, and Svi Mykhailiuk.
That won't put them ahead of San Antonio and Oklahoma City, but it could be good enough for Utah to avoid the play-in altogether next season. The fact that they could add someone like Dybantsa makes it only better, as adding him to this squad doesn't put them too far behind the best of the West.
It greatly benefits a situation that was already looking up. We must remember that, in Jones' words, he is saying this could be a team with the ceiling to surpass the peak days of Karl Malone and John Stockton if everything went their way this coming offseason.
Dybantsa may need the same amount of time McGrady did when he came in the NBA, but even so, if Utah gets him, not only would he make the future even brighter, but it would make their glorious future come even closer to becoming the present.