BOSTON -- Juan Dixon looked like he belonged on the court Tuesday night. But, as odd as it may sound, the MVP of the Final Four, the player who led Maryland to the national title, still has to prove he's an NBA player.

A few summer league games in Boston this week doesn't guarantee longevity in the league, let alone leaving a lasting impression. But Dixon, Washington's second of two first-round picks in last month's draft, has taken the first step to proving he's not a pushover. Playing the point for the Wizards, Dixon had as much, if not more composure on the court, than the rest of his colleagues.

	Juan Dixon (2) drives to the basket Monday night in his Wizards' debut.

He was never rattled, even when he committed five turnovers in a game. He wasn't afraid to take a mid-range, pull-up jumper when the ball squirted out to him at the free-throw line. And he didn't fret when he was pressured and needed some help bringing up the ball.

Defense? No problem when he could pick an opposing point, including four steals in one game.

Leadership? The only difference was the blue Wizards' jerseys instead of the Maryland red and white.

The point? Forget about that foolishness. He can play the position, even if he was an all-American off the ball while Steve Blake played the point for the Terps.

"I'm going to prove everyone wrong, just like I have at every level of basketball," said Dixon, the 17th overall pick in the first round. "I belong here. I know that. That's what I've been trying to tell you and tell everyone else. I've got coaches here like coach (Doug) Collins and coach (Brian) James supporting me at the (point guard) position."

"Maryland had other plans and thought I was better off on the wing. Steve ran the team," Dixon added. "At Maryland, they didn't back me at the position. But here they've got confidence in me to handle the ball and show me how to handle screens. I'm learning."

Dixon said his legs were admittedly tired when he got pressured in his first game Monday against the Bucks. The Wizards recognized he needed some help, something that will happen during the season. Washington has no shortage of ball-handlers, starting with a guy named Michael Jordan. Richard Hamilton has also proven capable bringing the ball up court.

When Dixon is on the court, most likely subbing for starter Chris Whitney, the pressure to handle the ball won't fall solely on him. If he's on the court with the veterans, or even fellow first-round pick Jared Jeffries or second-year pro Bobby Simmons, each could easily take turns bringing the ball up the court.

"The first day we gave the ball to Juan, everybody ran down court and watched him dribble it up," said Wizards assistant Brian James, who is coaching Washington's team this week at the Shaw's Pro Summer League. "Juan's not going to be able to do that for 32 minutes under pressure with nobody helping him."

But don't look for Dixon to whine for help. Dixon is as driven as any player selected in the 2002 draft. He told James early Tuesday that he was absolutely convinced he would have a better game. He was right, going from 3-for-14 shooting to 8-for-20 shooting in 24 hours. He also had five fouls in the first game and only two in the second. No, the numbers weren't eye-popping, but Dixon certainly showed early improvement.

"He has so much confidence and is so mentally tough," James said. "It wasn't a great game, but it was better than the first day."

Dixon was one of the stunners on draft night, leaping up to No. 17 overall after being considered a borderline first-round pick. He wasn't even officially invited to the draft and sat in the stands. Yet, he was selected ahead of invited guests Curtis Borchardt, Kareem Rush, Qyntel Woods and Casey Jacobsen.

	“	I told you I'm going to prove people wrong. I'm going to go out there and give 110 percent and take a shot when it's there. I'm not letting the pressure get to me. You can evaluate me, but I'm going to do what I've been doing at Maryland. ”
		— Juan Dixon

"I've been in many pressure situations," Dixon said. "I told you I'm going to prove people wrong. I'm going to go out there and give 110 percent and take a shot when it's there. I'm not letting the pressure get to me. You can evaluate me, but I'm going to do what I've been doing at Maryland."

And one of his first tasks was to calm Jeffries down. Jeffries, whose Indiana Hoosiers lost to Dixon's Terps in the national title game, still wasn't sure when to shoot. He was anxious and a bit scared prior to the camp, hoping to do well.

"Before the first game (Jeffries) was admittedly nervous," James said. "He shot only six times the first game, 10 the second and that's what we want. Jared is going to be good at bringing the ball up. Right now, he lacks some strength, but he's a three-man/four-man. A three first, in the mold of Scottie Pippen in his rookie year. He's got to work on his ballhandling, but we're going to play him facing the basket."

Indiana coach Mike Davis had Jeffries bringing the ball up at times last season, but more than anything, he had the offense funnel through Jeffries on the wing and inside the paint. Getting the confidence the 6-foot-11 forward displayed in Bloomington is the first order of business in D.C.

"I'm just not quite sure when to shoot," Jeffries said. "I'm talking to the coaches and it's just a feel thing in this offense. The hardest thing is to get in an offensive rhythm."

But, the more Jeffries plays, the more that could put a crimp in Kwame Brown's minutes. Brown was out this week with a strained groin. The 2001 No. 1 draft pick desperately needed to show his wares during the summer league after limited minutes (14.3 a game) as a rookie that resulted in averages of 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds.

"We expected Kwame to be our best player (duiring the summer league)," James said. "We wanted to see how much improvement he made from last summer to this summer. He needs games."

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.