Inside The Rockets

Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly Praises Rockets

The Houston Rockets face off against Bilal Coulibaly and the Washington Wizards.

Jeremy Brener

Mar 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Mar 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets are getting ready for their second game in as many nights as they take on the Washington Wizards at Toyota Center.

The Wizards are aware of how strong the Rockets have been to start the season, including Bilal Coulibaly, who offered praise to his upcoming opponent.

“They are really quick," Coulibaly said. "Everybody can push the ball, even [Alperen] Sengun, so we just have to get back into transition and pack the paint.”

As aware as Coulibaly is of the Rockets, Houston should be equally cognizant of how well Coulibaly has played to start the season. He has more than doubled his scoring average from his rookie season, going from 8.4 to 17.0 points per game through the first eight contests of the year.

Coulibaly scored 20 points in Sunday's loss against the Orlando Magic.

The Rockets and Wizards are both on the second night of a back-to-back after playing on the road on Sunday, so each team could be stripped of some energy after coming off of a game.

Therefore, each team will have to dig deep if they want to win. Another key to victory for the Rockets would be finding a way to contain Coulibaly, who has arguably been the Wizards' best player this season. If the Rockets can find a way to limit him, their chances of winning skyrocket.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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