AJ Dybantsa's Behind the Scenes 2026 NBA Draft Workout
Corey Tulaba and Albert Ghim bring you behind the scenes at a 2026 NBA Draft training workout with potential #1 pick AJ Dybantsa.
Not every door is easy to open. When the call came that we’d be granted access to AJ Dybantsa’s private pre-draft workout—the projected first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft—we didn’t take it for granted for even a second. Even after all the years of grinding, we still feel humbled by every opportunity we’re given and approach those moments with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning. What AJ showed us that day only deepened that feeling.
Corey: AJ’s workout opened with some ball handling. Nothing crazy; it was clearly a warm-up rather than a full-on display of his ball-handling ability. Still, it set the stage with reps that got him comfortable to actually highlight those skills later on in the workout during live action, where he diced up his defenders by showing the ability to get low, slither through tight spaces staying under control, keep the handle tight while playing through physicality, and the ability to utilize advanced combo moves to create space for jumpers or free up routes to the rim.
Albert, it isn’t every day a dude that tall can keep the ball on a string like that.
Albert: It was an absolute masterclass and really highlighted part of the reason why we’re talking about AJ as a player with a hall of fame type of ceiling. The ability to be twitchy in tight spaces and to slither his way around the floor with the ball in his hands is not normal for a 6’10” guy. We’ve had tall guys who can handle the ball before, but having a tall guy who can handle and navigate tight spaces with the flexibility, balance, and quick twitch that AJ has is a truly wild experience, especially up close.
