The Washington Wizards snapped a six-game losing streak on Monday night, and the best part is that one of their young building blocks was a main catalyst. Bilal Coulibaly had one of his better performances of the season in Washington’s (10-47) 107-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 20 points (7-14 FG, 3-4 3 PT) with five rebounds, two assists, and one steal across 30 minutes.
Jordan Poole couldn’t be prouder of the 20-year-old.
Jordan Poole said that he’s “a big fan” of Bilal Coulibaly and called him an “extremely elite defender” that’s always guarding the best player, which makes it even more impressive when he’s aggressive offensively. pic.twitter.com/bLGiGnKOLS
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) February 25, 2025
“Yeah, I’m a big fan of BC, I think everybody knows that. Just his growth over the course of his two years,” the former NBA champion said with a beaming grin after the game. “He’s an extremely elite defender and he’s always on the best player, which makes it more impressive to see how aggressive he still is on the offensive end. He’s still learning and figuring out what’s comfortable in his game. He’s a smart player, so he’s starting to read the game a little bit differently.”
“Extremely elite” is high praise, but it’s justified relative to where Coulibaly’s at in his career. For the second-year guard to already be guarding the NBA’s best perimeter threats well on a nightly basis suggests future prosperity. For example, he’s held Trae Young to 16 points (5-28 FG) with 10 turnovers in four matchups, Jayson Tatum to 16 points (7-20 FG) in three, and Steph Curry to 17 (7-18 FG) in two, via NBA Advanced Stats.
What stood out against the Nets (21-36), though, was Coulibaly’s offense. The French international led the team in shots attempted and three-point percentage, which is notable considering that he’s struggled to score consistently this season. He made his first three attempts from deep in the first quarter and also made a driving layup with 3:12 left in the game to give the Wizards a 98-97 lead, one that they never relinquished.
“It’s good just to see him be aggressive and continue to build his confidence,” Poole continued. “I think when he’s out there with the right guys and the right group, we’re also instilling confidence in him. We need him to be aggressive, get shots, make stops, and make plays for us if we want to be a good team.”
Washington head coach Brian Keefe said pre-game that while he wants Coulibaly to primarily focus on defense, he appreciates when the youngster asserts himself offensively as well. Ironically, the 2023 No. 7 overall pick followed up with one of his most aggressive shooting outings of the season right after that comment.
Keefe attributed it to Coulibaly making good plays within the natural flow of the offense.
“Some of it was just making the right reads. Early in the game, we came out and they were putting two on the ball, and we just moved it,” he explained. “He got some open shots, and we’ve always wanted him to be aggressive attacking. He had some nice finishes down the stretch, had two good finishes there in the fourth. He’s a creator for us, and I liked how he played tonight. He got in a little foul trouble, and still came back. Really good.”
Indeed, Coulibaly finished with five fouls, and had four entering the fourth quarter. A lesser player might’ve gotten in their head about it, but the 6-foot-8, 195-pounder stayed the course.
Speaking of staying the course…
Marcus Smart applauds young Wizards for “sticking with it”
While Washington’s main priority is developing young talent, it needs accomplished veterans to guide it. That’s where Marcus Smart comes in.
The Wizards acquired the former Defensive Player of the Year from the Memphis Grizzlies just ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, and he’s already impressed with the young core.
Marcus Smart commends the young #Wizards for “sticking with it” through tough times, which is “what makes this team great.”
Nights like tonight are the short-term reward for that toughness and discipline pic.twitter.com/CWGPCUdhQE
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) February 25, 2025
“Just the camaraderie that they have,” Smart said about what stands out about it. “We’ve got a lot of young guys doing things that they’re not used to. They’re put in situations, they’re put in that fire really early. It’s frustrating because things aren’t going the way that you would expect when you’re out there playing as a competitor, but they’re sticking with it.”
“That’s all you can ask for, and that’s what I love to see,” he continued. “That’s what makes this team great. They’re making progress right now, and they’re going to continue to work and get better.”
Smart’s energy and physicality is already helping with that. The 30-year-old did a kip-up after drawing a charge on Trendon Watford with 3:30 left, which got the home crowd roaring and led to Coulibaly’s layup to give the Wizards the lead.
Marcus Smart with the KIP UP after taking a charge late in the 4th quarter of Wizards-Nets
pic.twitter.com/K8aHTgPnpg
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 25, 2025
Smart also led the bench unit with 10 points (4-6 FG, 0-1 3 PT) while adding one rebound, two assists, and a steal in 22 minutes. Seeing a scrappy and enthusiastic veteran contribute on both ends can only mean good things for the youngsters going forward.
Next up for Washington is a home date on Wednesday with the Portland Trail Blazers in what will be former Wizard Deni Avdija’s first return to Capital One Arena since the team traded him for the No. 14 pick (Bub Carrington) and Malcolm Brogdon this past summer.
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