Wizards' forward Dominic McGuire claims he worked very hard this summer, and Coach Eddie Jordan likes what he sees.

"He is almost a different player (than last season). He understands what we are doing. He understands his role and he is playing at a very high level. You can see the seriousness in him," Jordan said. "We saw his improvement in summer league and he has been on pace to improve from the end of the last season until summer league. We now see his improvement from summer league to the beginning of training camp."

McGuire averaged 1.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 70 games for the Wizards last season. He was drafted by Washington with the 47th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

"I have been working hard. I started going to the gym to workout two times a day this summer. I have been focused and have been working on what the coaching staff told me to work on during our exit meetings last season," McGuire said Sunday. "They told me I needed to work on my mid-range game and to be more professional. I think those are the biggest things that are showing now."

He also claims it has helped that he's going against a player like Caron Butler in practice.

"It helps me a lot," McGuire added. "I am going against an All-Star everyday on the offensive and defensive end. You can?t help but get better. He shows me a lot off of the court as well. I also try to take things from Antawn. I watch his professionalism and how he handles himself off the court."