Everyone should respect the NBA Cup. This is a time when teams rebuilding or exiting can get a playoff-like environment. These games then become huge for young players' development, and the Washington Wizards desperately need that.

They stepped up to the challenge, though, beating the Charlotte Hornets to open up NBA Cup action. The game was close for the entire first half, then the second half turned into a beatdown. Here are the studs and duds from the victory.

Stud: AJ Dybantsa

AJ Dybantsa looking comfortable in his second career game 😯

17 PTS | 8 REB 🔥 pic.twitter.com/px5FjLar5t

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 31, 2026

He's played only two games so far, but AJ Dybantsa looks like a future MVP. The kid has not only the swagger, but also the tools to be the face of the league. He dropped 17 points on decent splits along with eight rebounds.

What was really impressive, though, was the defense. That was a huge concern as a prospect, and he is silencing the narrative that he is a bad defender. His length and athleticism show he can be a good defender, and it is showing so far.

Dud: Tre Johnson

Look, we know Tre Johnson can shoot the ball. He has started off extremely slowly, though, for the start of the season. He did not knock down a single three-pointer in the win, but that is not the biggest concern.

As it stands, Johnson does not do enough elsewhere to warrant staying on the court. If his three-pointer is not falling, he needs to either be really good on defense or as a playmaker to make up for it. Right now, he is just average at both. If his shot is not falling, then the minutes for Johnson are going to be hard to justify, just like tonight.

Stud: Trae Young

TRAE YOUNG TONIGHT VS CHARLOTTE:

21 POINTS
9 ASSISTS
7 REBOUNDS
2 STEALS
WIZARDS WIN 95-79

ALL WE NEED IS 20 TRAE 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/1E5E3ZpxI1

— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) October 31, 2026

Trae Young almost had a triple-double in this win. While the shot wasn't falling, he was a really good facilitator and got to the line at a high clip. He led the team in free throws at 14, knocking down 12 of them.

At the end, he got a little hungry, trying to get that tenth assist. That led to some dumb mistakes and turnovers, so the stat line doesn't look as clean as it could be. Still, this was a great game from the star guard who has been leading the league in assists this season.

Stud: Bub Carrington

Bub Carrington deserves his flowers so far this season. He has been a flamethrower from distance and has clearly improved as a defender. He made all but one of his shots, finishing with nine points and a few assists.

The only area Carrington could improve is playmaking. There is a hole at the backup point guard position, and it's easy for Carrington to fill it. His defense has gotten miles better; his playmaking just needs to improve slightly.