Inside The Wizards

Wizards Coach Praises 'Great' Guard

The Washington Wizards are seeing some progress from one of their young players.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) lays up during the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) lays up during the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images
In this story:

Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly didn't have his best scoring performance in the team's last game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Even though the Wizards offense was on point, Coulibaly only managed to make two of his five shot attempts from the floor, resulting in just six points from the second-year pro out of France.

However, Wizards coach Brian Keefe was happy from what Coulibaly was able to produce from beyond the box score on the defensive end of the floor.

“You know, he started off good, his defense, he got on the boards, which is great,” Keefe said of Coulibaly. “We challenged him to rebound. So I thought, eight rebounds, three assists, block shots. Thought his defense is good. You know, I had a couple times you got into the paint. You probably could have turned the corner more. But like, I thought he had a good game.”

Coulibaly, 20, came into the league as more of a defensive specialist. His defensive potential was a big reason why the Wizards selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. However, they also saw him as an offensive playmaker, and the Wizards have seen more of that come out in the first few games of the season. However, the Wizards still want him to develop as a two-way player.

There won't be many games where Coulibaly only gets five shots up, but even when he isn't making a large impact on the offensive end of the floor, he is still able to add value on defense.

Coulibaly will look to continue his strong defensive acumen as the Wizards take on the Atlanta Hawks in tonight's NBA Cup matchup. Tipoff for the game is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from State Farm Arena.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
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.

Home/Washington Wizards News