WASHINGTON — Bilal Coulibaly is arguably the Wizards’ best perimeter defender.
The French wing’s 86.5-inch wingspan, which ranks in the 99th percentile among NBA guards, allows him to disrupt passing lanes and deny shots. His 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.1 deflections per game all ranked in the 90th percentile or better at his position last season.
But Coulibaly’s jump shot remains a blemish on his otherwise impactful two-way game. He’s a career 31% 3-point shooter whose lightning-quick first step is rendered ineffective when teams can defend him with two feet in the paint.
Coulibaly knows an efficient 3-ball is the missing piece. It’s why he spent countless hours this summer working on his jumper.
His main focus: Removing the hitch at the top of his shot.
“It was just a rhythm thing. Just the flow of my shot. I had a little stop at the top, and I’ve tried to change it,” Coulibaly said.
Brian Keefe called Coulibaly one of the league’s best defenders. He doesn’t think the 22-year-old wing gets enough credit for his improved shooting to close last season.
Coulibaly shot 38.1% from three over the final 15 games, including a 42.9% clip during five games alongside Trae Young.
“[Bilal] has put tremendous time into [his jump shot] this summer. Very intentional work,” Keefe said. “His number one thing is always gonna be his defense and the impact he has on that end. But the ability to space the floor will be tremendous as he improves on that.”
Carrington avoids punishment after tanking comments
It’s one thing to complete a season in which your eye for the draft lottery is greater than your focus on winning in the immediacy. It’s another thing to admit it.
Bub Carrington did the latter at Wizards Media Day when he said he was held back last season as the Wizards positioned themselves for AJ Dybantsa.
“We haven’t been told to be the best version of ourselves. We were held back because we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That’s no secret,” Carrington said in a recent interview with WUSA9.
On Friday, The Athletic reported that neither Carrington, nor the Wizards, would face league discipline for his comments.
Ayton learning from an NBA legend
Deandre Ayton spent the latter part of Friday’s practice consuming advice from Patrick Ewing, the Knicks legend and first-ballot Hall of Famer who recently joined the Wizards as an assistant coach.
Ewing watched as Ayton took shots from the post before chiming in with several tips. Ayton didn’t miss following his coach’s advice.
Ayton, who the Wizards acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in July, said learning from a Hall of Famer isn’t something he expected upon arriving in Washington. But he’s ready to consume whatever knowledge Ewing is willing to impart to him.
“Learning, getting some pointers and wisdom. [Ewing] comparing the basketball from his time to our time. Just asking him anything that pops off my head,” Ayton said.
The long-time starter, who hasn’t come off the bench since 2020, is ready for his new role as Alex Sarr and Anthony Davis’ backup. He said those double-big lineups bring him back to his time at Arizona, when he played power forward.
“Big help big. If those guys help, I’ll have their back. If I help, I expect them to have mine,” Ayton said. “Rebounds, protecting the rim, just closing out possessions and blocking some shots.”
Keefe is excited for those pairings. He thinks Ayton’s skill set meshes well with Sarr and Davis, who will share the floor with Ayton in some capacity this season.
“[Ayton] is a great rim protector, great defensive rebounder. He led the NBA in efficiency at the rim last year,” Keefe said. “Those things, plus his basketball IQ, gives us an anchor on both ends of the floor … He’s been terrific so far.”
Bonus Notes
Keefe praised the intensity his players have practiced with through four days of training camp. He also discussed the double-big lineups, Coulibaly’s new jumper and more in this four-minute media session: