Q. All season Coach Keefe talked about the team's offense being built on their defense. The perimeter, there was always work to be done. Over the course of an off-season, how do you make that switch into a competitive defense beyond the addition of Anthony Davis?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I think it's just reps. Also a lot of film study, knowing what every team does. Just at the end of the day, it's going out there and competing as a unit more than individually, making sure that if I get beat, somebody is going to have my back, if somebody else get beat, I'm going to have their back. String everybody together, have everybody on the same page.
Q. What does this team need to improve on in order to be still playing at this time next year?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: Consistency. We've shown spurts over the past year or two, about how good we could be. I think especially this year we made strides on being resilient, coming back after a tough loss or even a tough quarter, stuff like that. I think we have to switch our mindset, have the mindset of punching first, making sure we establish ourselves. Just being consistent that way to be able attack games a certain way where we're the aggressors.
Q. What is the top thing you learned from BK so far?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: This is going to sound weird, but that stuff don't matter. It doesn't matter if we land at 3:00 a.m., we have a game at 7:00. It doesn't matter if we won 45 points last game. Doesn't matter if you won last game. Every game is a clear sheet. Nobody's going to remember your stomach was a little bit upset that game. Still got to go out there and play at your best. That's what the best players do. Regardless of the circumstances, they go out to play and win a game.
Q. What kind of impact do you think A.D. will have on the totality of the team?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I'm not going to go into his résumé. Leader, experience, championship experience, top 75 player. I think that speaks for itself.
We're going to make sure we're going to push him to get the best out of him, and he's going to make sure that he gets the best out of us. I think that's the recipe for success.
Q. How is your elbow feeling?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: Much better. Much better. Making strides. Just got to make sure that it's 100% before I start.
Q. Curious about the last couple seasons, is this kind of the same plan going into this off-season, like a similar jump season, playing in DC or playing anywhere else?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: Definitely spending a lot of time in DC just to keep the work culture, building chemistry with my teammates. There's a couple FIBA windows for Team Canada that I'm looking to play in.
Yeah, mostly here working out with the team.
Q. You mentioned the FIBA windows in Canada. Especially last year with FIBA Americas, the world got to see you jump. Seems like it translated well into this season. Can you speak on that, those experiences, how that helps going into a big year next year.
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I mean, being able to play basketball in a different setting than the team you play with every year unveils a lot about yourself. You get to find what you can actually do outside of what you do with your team, how you can take that and transfer it within the team setting you play in.
Also, like, we have a long off-season. It gets you a chance to play competitive ball that actually means something. I think there's no way to get better.
Q. You don't know what your offensive role is going to be next year. How do you think you helped yourself both on and off the ball to prepare yourself for whatever that role is?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I mean, I was just a basketball player at the end of the day. I'm going to assert myself. I know exactly what I can do well, what I can bring to the team.
I think the whole staff is aware of what I can bring to the team. I trust them to put me in a situation where I'm going to be able to shine and I'm going to be able to help my team win games, so...
Yeah, I'm just ready to go really.
Q. The two years you've been here, it's obviously been more about developing the young players, giving them minutes. Understandable. If the goal now going forward is we're going to start trying to win, how do you make that switch?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: We all came as rookies into this league, wanting to win as many games as possible. I think having been through these two seasons where we haven't won a lot, it just adds fuel to the fire. When it's actually time to win, we're going to be as locked in as ever to be able to just go out there and compete. It's what we all came in the league for.
Q. We've been talking about your development from year one to two. From what you've seen from guys around you, like Alex, Bub, how has their development been from year one to two? What do you anticipate for year two to three?
KYSHAWN GEORGE: I think with Alex and Bub, we realized what we're good at and we're able to apply that into games. We're able to assert ourselves in what we want to be in this league, what we can do. I think that was our step from year one to year two. The work we put in in the off-season, we really was able to transfer it in the game.
I think now for all of us, it's how basketball more consistent, sharp and efficient in what we do. To win games, you have to be efficient in what you do. That's my biggest point of emphasis, is being super sharp, not leaving anything on the table, just making sure that I'm efficient, consistent in everything I do. I think that's going to help us win.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports