"I could get way better" - Kyshawn George discusses his development, the Wizards' core, and national team aspirations [EXCLUSIVE]

The Washington Wizards have accumulated plenty of intriguing young talents as they lay the foundation of a long-term core. They added Bilal Coulibaly with the seventh pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. They landed the second pick the following year, positioning themselves to take Alex Sarr.

Another young talent with plenty of fans in the Wizards organization is Kyshawn George. The 6-foot-8 guard was selected 24th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. In 60 appearances, he is averaging 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 27.3 minutes per game.

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Kyshawn George Exclusive

George has a rare background, including playing professionally for Élan Chalon before playing collegiately at the University of Miami. He credits this diverse background with helping his development, as he had the chance to compete against real professionals in a structured environment, while most young players faced just their peers.

“ Get the best of both worlds,” George said. “I've played against real pros before and learned from them on the European side of basketball. Last year, I played in college, and I got the more up-and-down pace with the American side of basketball. I think I've gotten the best of both worlds. That's a good thing.”

The most significant adjustment George mentioned making since entering the NBA is the requirement to learn the tendencies of different matchups as a defender. To get stops, it’s pivotal to have a plan, but players tend to settle in more after seeing the same player across multiple matchups. He’s learned the value of making it uncomfortable for a top player and living with the results.

“ Defensively, understanding the tendencies of certain players,” George said. “ It's hard to take away everything, but they have certain tendencies that you don't necessarily like to do and try to push them towards. Doing something that they're not as comfortable doing as their go to.”

Since joining the Wizards organization, George has embraced learning all the necessary basics of the NBA level. No detail has been too small.

“ I think it's just habits, knowing who you're playing with, knowing your own tendencies, and just being able to apply that in the game, depending on the situation,” George said.

The long-term focus for George is to develop a well-rounded offensive game where he can attack as a shot creator, along with generating the necessary paint pressure to score or make plays for teammates. However, an immediate priority is to be a consistent catch-and-shoot option to complement the rest of the unit when he’s on the floor.

While his shooting consistency remains a work in progress, the daily work George has put into his shot has helped him feel more confident when taking them in games. Being intentional with each rep has emphasized getting the most out of his work.

“ I think I always say I was confident in my shot,” George said. “My shots just won't fall in. I’m just a little bit more intentional in the reps off the court. And then the shots are falling and I'm happy with it. We have our own assistant coaches and I have my own trainer.”

George was stressed early on the importance of not viewing scoring points as the primary determination for making an impact in his role. He’s not tasked with taking many shots nightly but has embraced making a defensive impact.

“ I think it's just fun. If you're not scoring 30 points, you have to be useful and impact the game somehow," George said. "So I think I'm focusing on that right now.”

There have been helpful figures in George’s rookie season, including Anthony Gill, Malcolm Brogdon, and Jordan Poole. He has felt embraced by the guards on the roster as he navigates learning the ins and outs of the NBA.

“ I think everybody has their own little say," George said. "Anthony Gill has been a tremendous help off the court. Malcolm Brogdon, JP [Jordan Poole], for the guards, and as you know, JP, inside, just the relation of guards are big, so everybody has their own standard.”

It remains to be seen who the 15-51 Wizards will add through the upcoming NBA Draft. Regardless, George has great confidence in the core group that has already been established. He sees the makings of a highly talented and versatile team with great size across multiple positions.

“ I think we see it already. We have a very good young core — a lot of size, very versatile,” George said. “I think as the years go, it's going to get better. It's going to be fun.”

With so much room to improve in every aspect of the game, George isn’t overemphasizing any particular area of his development yet. He’s staying patient while growing his whole skill set.

“Everything. I think I could get way better in everything,” George said. “So just taking my time and adding the pieces by piece to create what I want to play.”

George’s short-term goal is to be as consistent as he possibly can. It takes going through the ups and downs of an 82-game season that requires a significant amount of games in a short period, including playing back-to-backs or three games in four nights. Regardless of the circumstances, they’re expected to perform.

“Just making an impact. Like I said, be as consistent as possible. I think that's a big thing,” George explained. “Regardless, if you're tired or not. If you travel the day before, if you play the day before, you have to come and perform and compete every single night, so I'll take that as an advantage.”

As George has learned through experience, not skipping any steps daily requires a significant amount of process. He didn’t have to learn this the hard way due to his already typical approach, but it didn’t hurt that he felt adequately prepared by the Wizards organization.

“ I would just say they did a good job telling us beforehand, and I'm just trying to apply as many things I could do to take care of my body off the court,” George said.

For some players, competing in a FIBA environment can provide an additional high-stakes opportunity to continue developing their game. As a Swiss-Canadian, George aspires to play for the Canadian national team.

“Of course. National teams, I'm obviously Canadian and Swiss, so leading toward the Canadian side,” George said. “We'll see how that works out, but definitely trying to play the national team.”

When the Wizards return to competitive form, George is motivated to be instrumental in that turnaround. In the meantime, he continues to develop his game by working closely with his trainer and the Wizards' coaching staff.