Kevin Durant Praises Washington Wizards Avdija and Coulibaly for 'Physicality'

The Washington Wizards couldn't keep up with the Phoenix Suns, but the young players were praised by superstar Kevin Durant.

It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Washington Wizards against the Phoenix Suns.

Considering the injuries the Wizards were dealing with it became even more challenging and meant the younger players on the roster would have to step up.

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Having to play defense against the combination of Suns guards Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and forward Kevin Durant is one of the toughest tasks in the NBA.

As usual though, Washington forward Deni Avdija and rookie guard Bilal Coulibaly didn't shy away from the challenge.

Avdija carried the load for the Wizards offense scoring 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting while expending tons of energy trying to make life hard for the Phoenix star players.

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

"Physicality, just making everything tough," Durant said to Monumental Sports reporter Bijan Todd about the challenges Avdija and Coulibaly bring defensively. "I respect dudes that play physical, that don't give a sh*t what my name is."

Coulibaly guarded Durant for a total of three minutes and 25 seconds and held him to 1-for-3 shooting while allowing only two points.

Not many people in Durant's career have been able to guard him for 19.6 possessions and hold him to two points.

Kevin Durant on the challenges posed by Deni Avdija and Bilal Coulibaly on defense today:

“I respect dudes that play physical, that just don’t give a sh*t what my name is.” 👀

Says he respects young guys playing hard against players like him. pic.twitter.com/SaymA11k8s

— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) February 4, 2024

In Coulibaly's time shadowing the other two Phoenix superstars in Beal and Booker he was just as effective.

He held them to just two points in just over three minutes of being matched-up with them.

"The young guys who have an opportunity to guard a player like me (and) their coach trust them to guard a player like me or Book or Brad," Durant continued on. "They play hard like that, I respect it."

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This isn't the first time Coulibaly has gotten the praise of superstars he has guarded this year, and it won't be the last.

His defensive skill set is going to keep Coulibaly in the NBA for a long time, and if he develops a consistent offensive game, the sky is the limit.

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