Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly talks offseason plans, Amen Thompson, Wemby, Eurobasket and more

Bilal Coulibaly: It is, yeah, I was about to say it’s my first time here. My sister’s been here before and she told me it was nice, but I was not expecting that actually. It’s better than I thought, so I like it.

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BC: Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of him. I’ve watched a lot of his games. He’s a good player. He doesn’t make any really big mistakes. He’s playing good basketball when he has to, he’s not forcing it. He can score, pass the ball, rebound, do anything on the court.

BC: I’m working on my game a lot. I’ll focus on my handle and my three-point shooting so I can come back and feel way smoother and more comfortable on the court. I’ll be in DC, I’ll be probably in Dallas for a little bit too because my agency is based there, so I’ll be working out with them. I’ll be in France too so anywhere I go I’ll be working on my game.

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BC: For sure, yeah. As soon as I stepped on the court in my second season, I felt like the game slowed down a little bit, actually a lot. It was just easier to get to the rims, to make stops. I could read the game way easier.

BC: The Hawks games versus Trae Young because defensively I felt like I was everywhere. It was some great two-way performances.

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BC: De’Aaron Fox just because he’s really, really fast, man.

BC: A lot. I didn’t talk with them, but yeah, I’ve watched a lot of them. I keep watching a lot of them in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Clippers are out, but I still watch Mikal Bridges. He’s done a great job defensively. In the first two games against the Celtics, he had those two stops. That’s really impressive for a player. The anticipation was crazy, I loved it.

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BC: Amen Thompson can be one of those two-way players, I mean he’s already proven it. He’s done a great job in the playoffs. Playing good defense against Steph Curry is not easy! Even offensively, he’s here making baskets. He’s been one of the best players in Houston in his first playoffs, so it’s impressive.

Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

BC: I don’t know a lot about it but I just talked to his parents and they told me he was feeling better.

Are you worried about the increase in blood clot cases?

BC: There’s been some bad end of careers like that but the guys were old and it was a long time ago. Now, everything is different. The research that people do is way different. I’m sure he’ll get through it.

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BC: Yeah, I’m planning to go. I’ve talked with everybody in the organization, and everybody agreed so there’s no problem about it.