Lakers star Luka Doncic earns high praise from AJ Dybantsa after a dominant display
The Times Of India June 04, 2026 10:39 AM
Okay, the Los Angeles Lakers are long gone, and NBA fans are ready for the finals between the Knicks and the Spurs. However, Luka Doncic , who has been the league’s top scorer, is still a hot topic of discussion. Luka Doncic's debut season with the Los Angeles Lakers left the entire NBA talking, and not just the veterans. Top 2026 NBA Draft prospect AJ Dybantsa , widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick, watched Doncic up close this season and came away shaken. During an appearance on Gil's Arena, Dybantsa described a specific Lakers performance as the most dominant individual showing he has ever seen in person.
The game in discussion came in March, when Doncic torched the Utah Jazz for 45 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists, and five steals while committing just one turnover. Los Angeles won 143-135. It was one of five occasions this season in which Doncic reached 45 points or more, and it came against the very franchise Dybantsa could be suiting up for as soon as next fall.
Why AJ Dybantsa is studying Luka Doncic's scoring mechanics before the 2026 NBA Draft
AJ Dybantsa wasn't just impressed as a fan. He was watching with a purpose. The Utah native told the Gil's Arena panel that he specifically wants to guard Doncic and Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to understand how two of the NBA's best scorers create their shots so effortlessly.
"I want to see, me being a student of the game, and seeing how Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] gets a shot off and how Luka [Doncic] gets his shot off. I just want to see from a defensive standpoint how it feels because they're making it look way too easy. I mean, it's probably easy to them, but I just want to know from a defensive standpoint."
Dybantsa understands that watching film from the stands is a different kind of education than standing on the floor trying to contain a 33.5-point-per-game scorer. Doncic led the league in scoring this season for the second time in his career, and nights like the one in Utah illustrated exactly why.
When pressed specifically about the Jazz game, Dybantsa didn't hesitate.
"Because I watched Luka live, and that was probably the craziest single-person performance I've ever seen. It was like a 40-point triple-double, easy. It was crazy."
AJ Dybantsa could face Luka Doncic multiple times in the coming season
Dybantsa played collegiately in Utah and is widely expected to land with the Jazz via the No. 1 overall pick, which the Washington Wizards currently hold. Utah could attempt to trade up and select him in the June 23 draft, meaning Dybantsa may find himself facing Doncic at least eight times next season as a divisional opponent. The man who left him awestruck in the stands could be the first genuine test of his NBA career.
For the Lakers, Doncic's first season in Los Angeles exceeded almost every expectation. He led the league in scoring, delivered multiple historic nights, and gave a franchise hungry for a new identity something to rally around. His impact has been felt even beyond the roster, shaping how the next wave of NBA talent views the standard at the position.
The Lakers hold the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and currently have no other selections unless they make moves before June 23. Whether they add around Doncic at the draft or through trade, the standard he set this season has made clear what a player coming to Los Angeles should expect to contribute alongside him. Dybantsa, for one, already seems to understand that.
