Wizards’ Kyshawn George Has Plan to Avoid Two-Way Trap

Nothing captures the imagination of the NBA draft evaluator quite like a young two-way wing.

The ability to impact both offense and defense signify a few things: the awareness to know your role, the maturity to match up with other stars around the league as fellow scorers and challenge-accepting stoppers and the upside to one day slot in as a helpful difference-maker.

Those are the boxes that Kyshawn George spent his rookie season with the Washington Wizards checking off, slowly demonstrating how wide his skillset spanned with a quiet comfortability with the ball in his hands and the instincts to fit in across the spectrum of positions. The 3&D forward looked closer to the elusive point forward that every team's always seemingly attempting to develop, and he's repaid those updated evaluations in spades through the first two months of his sophomore campaign.

Balancing Dual Duties

George leads the 2025-26 Wizards in assists per game with 4.6 to pair with a hyper-efficient 15.2 points per outing, but he's intent on avoiding the trap that many young two-way prospects fall into when they abandon their defensive effort in focusing on newfound offensive freedom.

"To be honest, I don't want to be the type of guy that, 'Oh, he's taking all the shots and doesn't do anything else,'" he told reporters during midweek media availability. "I think I have the abilities to do both, and that’s what I want to build my career on."

Got to have a minute with Kyshawn George, who I asked about balancing a newfound offensive role and the defensive responsibilities he’s flashed.

“I think I have the abilities to do both, and that’s what I want to build my career on.” pic.twitter.com/HXFHvc0Rf2
— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) December 10, 2025

Fans have certainly taken notice of George's willingness to keep the ball moving in continually looking for the right play, one of the big distinguishers between a big guy who can handle the ball a little bit and a true point forward who can routinely set the table for others besides himself. He could certainly hoist more than the 11.5 shots he's attempting on a nightly basis as one of the best players on Washington's roster, but for now, he's dead-set on maintaining his role on defense as well as offense.

Washington Wizards Forwards Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George — Dec 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) celebrates with Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) after scoring while being fouled by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (not pictured) in the final seconds of the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

He's earned enough leeway from Washington's coaching staff to have earned those added responsibilities, spending the last year rising from a fringe-rotational rookie into one of the more intriguing wing prospects in the game, and his development-oriented team is closely monitoring George's progress and his approach to growth.

"He wants to be great on both ends," Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said. "This is someone who's really driven to do both...he's learning how to balance those things, but the best part is he has the desire to want to do that, and he digs into both ends of the floor. He's gonna grow with that over time and learn how to keep doing it."

For a player with George's advantageous NBA-sized frame, defense is a combination of instincts and desire, both of which he's expressly stated. Even while his other top scoring options struggle with inconsistencies of their own, he's risen to every opportunity presented to him, and that includes this relevant give-and-take.

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