Q. Let's get to competition. Obviously you've been putting in a lot of work during this off-season since Brooklyn. You've been in the lab working. I'm curious about you, Bub, you, Cam, you, Will. What is the dynamic of this internal competition and how is that going to feed you once we get to the regular season?
TRE JOHNSON: I feel like it's going to be good just competing every day. I feel like it's also a way to build chemistry, healthy competition. Obviously nobody wants to lose, and it's kind of fun.
Then just to be on the same side going and competing against somebody else know how are they going against you, they're going to do even more against somebody else, just having that on your side.
Q. Everybody on your team has admitted that you can knock down shots whatever you so desire. Is that going to be the cornerstone of how you're going to transition into that league, and if not what will be?
TRE JOHNSON: I feel like that could be a way when I'm trying to allow parts of my game that the team needs to transfer, and if not, figure out ways to help them transfer.
Q. Do you have any hobbies outside of basketball?
TRE JOHNSON: Not there yet.
Q. Working on it?
TRE JOHNSON: Working on it.
Q. Can you name some players that influences you growing up watching, and what did you learn from their games?
TRE JOHNSON: Growing up I kind of just watched Kevin Durant because I was taller than everybody thinking I was going to be as tall as he was, so I learned at a young age how to use my size, shoot over players, try to engage. Not the best thing, but...
Q. What stood out to you about guys like Bub and Alex as you've gotten to know them so far?
TRE JOHNSON: Just how detailed they are about their craft, watching them on a daily basis as we all work out, and then just -- they're just funny guys. Alex is probably one of the funniest guys you'll ever meet to be honest, and just their personalities off the court.
Q. On a podcast you mentioned the need for the defense to really get somewhere. How much of a priority was that for you in the off-season?
TRE JOHNSON: It was a big priority because defense is mainly a want-to thing, so I feel like me already having the want-to, now being competitive, just really getting better at the intangibles.
Q. You'll be splitting a backcourt with Bub for a good part of the season. How do you complement each other?
TRE JOHNSON: We do play somewhat similar, just he's more somewhat of a pass first and I'm more of a scorer, but everything else is really similar. We work out together kind of doing the same things. I feel like that's why we complement each other because we know what each other is trying to do.
Q. You're also favored in a good amount of early Rookie of the Year polls. Are you letting yourself use that for any motivation or are you not giving that any mind?
TRE JOHNSON: No, not even. I feel like if I do what I'm supposed to do, I'll win it, but it's not even something that's in my mind.
Q. The Wizards tweeted a note for you, 1-3 at Bub Carrington. 1-3 at what?
TRE JOHNSON: If you know, you know. It's not so hard so figure out. He knows what it means.
Q. There's been a lot of talk about the competition that training camp is going to feature. You're someone that really likes competition from everything I've heard. What are you looking forward to in training camp with that competition?
TRE JOHNSON: Winning. Winning. I feel like any type of competition I'm just trying to win or just -- everybody is trying to win is going to make us better, and I feel like everybody trying to win is what we talked about.
Q. What's been the most amount of competition you've had with people around the Wizards so far?
TRE JOHNSON: Probably the 5-on-5 games, continuous up and down, keeping score but mentally keeping score. I keep track of wins and losses.
Q. I always want to ask players coming into any sport who tells you the truth, and I want to know who your truth tellers are in your life and in your circle.
TRE JOHNSON: Growing up, my dad was a person that told me the truth, but as I got older, I really don't need nobody to tell me the truth. I tell myself the truth I feel like. He hasn't been speaking too much of his truth because he knows I'm going to keep myself and hold myself accountable.
Q. CJ mentioned he tried to tell you you have to find something besides basketball, and I just wonder, I know that the grind is to get here and that's the goal and that's what you put your time into and your heart into it, but do you see the point he's trying to make, like you do need to have an outlet besides this at some point?
TRE JOHNSON: Yeah, at some point, but I'm not at that point yet (laughter). I don't feel like I'm at that point, but I do get what he's talking about, because it is work. It's not -- it is your job now, so your job can get stressful, so if this is what you were using to relieve that stress, it's going to be kind of hard. I never thought of it as stressful.
Q. First impressions on Cam Whitmore, who he is as a person and how excited are you to pair with him?
TRE JOHNSON: He's a great person, good guy. I've been around him a few times on the court. But on the court, amazing athlete. I haven't really seen yet nobody stop him when he's running at you in transition. Nobody is standing in it. But no, he's really a cool, great dude. Fun to be around.
Q. With the vets on the team, a couple guys who have been around several years. How excited are you to learn from them and sort of just take what they give you verbally?
TRE JOHNSON: Very excited. I feel like those two guys I used to watch growing up, not particularly learning from but just admired their game I would say. So it's cool I have them on the team.
Q. You mentioned being in the 5-on-5s and those types of runs. That's an early glimpse for you of the speed of the NBA game. What has been your early takeaways in that regard?
TRE JOHNSON: The speed?
Q. Yeah, the speed, the athleticism.
TRE JOHNSON: Athleticism I wouldn't say it was too much just because I've been around other athletes and I'm not the most athletic so it's not too much of a change. But just the speed I see is different when I'm on a team of -- because like him wanting to be pass first you've got to beat him down the court. He's looking for guys to be ahead of him, in front of him, so I feel like whenever he's on the court, it's just a lot faster than playing with anybody else controlling the point. I feel like that's the speed. You've just got to beat him down the court.
Q. I know how hard you've been working this afternoon, informal workouts and 5-on-5 scrimmaging, but how excited are you for tomorrow morning, your first official practice of your first official season?
TRE JOHNSON: Really excited just to see what training camp has to offer, just leading up into the preseason games. The whole team has been here for the past few weeks, been practicing, so I don't know how much different it's going to be this week. We'll see tomorrow.
Q. Off the court, in the time that you've had here in the city just getting acclimated to D.C., have there been any events or anything you've gone to socially, any games or any other venues, and what were your impressions of the city and the people of D.C.?
TRE JOHNSON: Yeah, I've been to a few different events and games. I was at the Howard-Hampton game. That was a good one. I enjoyed my time at the game, just being out into the city has been fun. It's been fun. There's been a lot of different events. Was able to go to a Mystics game before their season just ended. It's just been fun being in the city, to be honest.
Q. Since your last game at Texas or since the combine let's say, have you added any size, any height, any weight?
TRE JOHNSON: Those are questions I should ask. I should ask those questions. To be honest, I don't know.
Q. What would you say you learned the most from your Summer League experience?
TRE JOHNSON: To be honest, I wouldn't know how much I learned. I just feel like a regular game, just was out there with good talent and it was competitive. I don't know how much I really learned, but I learned a little bit more about our defense because we practiced during Summer League, so stuff that we trained and worked on we had to go out there and do it, so I feel like I learned a little bit more of our actions, being in them, practicing in them. So I feel like a little bit of that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports