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