Lakers 125, Wizards 120
Q. You had another good game, and you had to battle foul trouble. What was the key to navigating that?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: The key was to not get more fouls. I felt some fouls I didn't do. Some fouls were bad fouls by my part, like the first one. I should just watch film and see what I can do and what not to do so next time I don't get in foul trouble.
Q. What was it like when you learned you were going to have the task of guarding Anthony Davis and lining up against him and helping out with defense on LeBron in your third or fourth Wizards game?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: Yeah, fourth or fifth. I kind of figured out myself yesterday when Bagley got injured, and then today I just watched a lot of film. I called Frank Kaminsky. He was my teammate, and I asked him, you got some tips on how to guard AD? I asked him, he told me some -- what to do, where to push him, where are his strengths.
Q. Do you call him a lot for advice?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: Yeah, generally we play the same position, pretty much like the same player, pick-and-pop 5, and he's been in the league for seven or eight years, so he's a guy that is helping me.
Q. You have shown so much of your range and versatility even in just the few games that you've played with these guys. What have the Wizards said that they're excited for you to bring? What do they want you to show and prove about your game?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: I think spacing the floor was the main thing, spacing the floor as a 5 man. I think that, and then like with my experience in Europe and like playing with the players I played in Europe, being there at such a young age with Real Madrid and Partizan, just to bring a different type of IQ, different type of basketball and like a fresh air, I would say, to the team.
Q. Here in the United States even teenagers spend a lot of time in the weight room training. It's said that in Europe there's not as much of that. How much weight room work have you done in your career up to this point?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: Well, not as much as I've done in these two weeks for sure. Europe is more like 5-on-5, textbook basketball, plays, maybe practicing for two, three hours, so like when that's done, your body is just too tired to do weight lifting.
I think Ty, who's doing a great job with me, he has helped me, and I've felt I'm getting stronger and bigger even though I'm here for, what, 10, 15 days, and that's a big next step for me. My body, my weight and everything, I think this summer they'll do a great job in getting me prepared for next season.
Q. One of your new teammates gave you a real good compliment saying that your IQ is really, really good, and he talked about a ballroom kind of walk-through in Chicago in the hotel, something about moving on the weak side -- do you recall that anecdote or that whole story?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: I mean, not really, but it's like -- the key, like I said before, the teams I've been in in Europe and the cultures I've had, they're the best cultures in Europe, Pablo Laso and Zeljko, so just being with them every day opened up my IQ and my vision of basketball. So that helped me and just like reading the game better. It's not like I sit at home and think about it. I think it comes more naturally, just being around these type of people and just thinking ahead at the moment. Just thinking like even a second earlier than other people is a big advantage, let's say like Jokic is a great example, so it's like something that I'm still learning. I don't think I'm perfect at that, but I still have room for improvement.
Q. You've been playing against grown men for years now from your time in Europe. Do you find that you are ahead of your time in terms of not getting star struck playing against players like LeBron and Anthony Davis?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: Yeah, so the first time when I saw him I was like, damn, it's LeBron. A month ago I was watching him on TV and now I'm here and I'm starting to match up against AD and LeBron, like the first glance was like wow, but once the tip-off starts, it's just basketball. I don't care who's in front of me. I just try to play my game and do the best I can.
Q. When we ask Brian Keefe about you, he often says they're learning about you as they go. What about your game are you trying to make clear to them? What are you trying to prove to them that you're good at?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: That's a secret. No, just like I said before, spacing the floor, playing with my IQ, thinking the game, and just playing the game I love. That's the thing I'm -- my head is mainly pointed to.
Q. Has there been anything about this very brief NBA experience so far that you've seen that you weren't expecting?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: That I wasn't expecting? Not really. I mean, I was watching the NBA. I had teammates that played in the NBA, so they kind of told me how it is, how everything is different here than in Europe. Coming here -- I didn't come in here -- I was here for Summer League, too, so it's not like the first time coming here. It's okay.
Q. How many languages do you speak?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: Fluently, four.
Q. English --
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: English, Serbian, Greek, Spanish.
Q. And Swedish just --
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: Swedish I understand. I can't really speak it. But we're getting there, step by step.
Q. You picked up English how?
TRISTAN VUKCEVIC: Like school. My dad was a professional basketball player in Europe, so just us always moving. Like my mom said the best thing is to stay in an international school, so that's where I got my English from was studying in English.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports