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Aaron Gash

MILWAUKEE — For Bilal Coulibaly, increasing talent led to increased responsibility.

As a rookie, the Washington Wizards guard mostly focused on defense, taking on the opponent’s best perimeter player. But after a transformative offseason in which he tightened his handle and improved his shot, Coulibaly earned a larger offensive role entering his second year.

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He flourished to start, seemingly setting a career high every night while continuing to guard opposing stars. But those taxing two-way duties have seemed to wear on Coulibaly. His offensive production has dropped precipitously since his hot start, with the latest output being a four-point performance on 2-for-8 shooting in a 124-114 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night at Fiserv Forum.

“It’s been a lot thrown at me,” Coulibaly said. “But I got to go through it because that’s what I want to do in my future, in the near future. I want to be a great two-way player. … I’ll take it.”

“He’s our best defender ... but he’s also very much an evolving offensive player who’s turning into a playmaker,” Coach Brian Keefe said before the game. “... He wants the challenge, and he wants to grow.”

Washington led in the first half and stayed close for most of the game, trailing by two with less than five minutes left, before losing its 14th in a row. The Wizards (2-16) got 31 points from Jordan Poole and 29 from Malcolm Brogdon.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 42 points and rounded out his triple-double with 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Bucks (10-9). The other half of Milwaukee’s superstar tandem and Coulibaly’s primary assignment, Damian Lillard, notched 25 points and 10 assists.

It would be unfair to pin Lillard’s night entirely on Coulibaly, who often played tight defense and was victimized by one of the best shooters of this era. Lillard scored just seven points in the second half, when he shot 2 for 7.

“Not worried about [Coulibaly] at all,” Keefe said after the game. “Defensive was impressive still. Lillard hit some tough shots, but I thought in the second half he really made him work.”

The toughest part of having two-way responsibilities, Coulibaly said, is maintaining defensive intensity when you’re struggling on offense. It’s a scenario he has become all too familiar with of late.

He scored 17 or more points in four of his first five games. He has reached that mark just twice in his past 12 games, a stretch in which he’s averaging 9.8 points on 41.7 percent shooting, including 20.6 percent from three-point range.

Michael McLoone

After the season opener, when Coulibaly attempted just two field goals, teammates and coaches <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/10/26/wizards-cavaliers-bilal-coulibaly/" target=_blank>implored him to shoot more</a>. He responded by taking at least 12 shots in the next four games, the last coming Nov. 2. He hasn’t attempted that many since.

Entering Saturday, Coulibaly’s usage rate (the percentage of plays that end with a player’s field goal, free throw or turnover) was seventh among the nine Wizards averaging at least 10 minutes. It was last since Nov. 3.

Some of that drop in aggression can be attributed to Brogdon’s reintroduction to the lineup. The 31-year-old often plays with the ball and has averaged 24 minutes and 9.9 shot attempts since returning.

Coulibaly said his role has changed since Brogdon’s return — but only slightly.

“[Brogdon is] a good offensive player, too,” he said. “… Everybody got to shoot the ball. I can’t be the only one shooting the ball. It’s logic.”

Although the reasons are varied, Coulibaly’s offensive dip — in volume and efficiency — is notable for a player who earlier this season looked as if he had blown past his expected development curve. But growth isn’t linear, and even struggles can be beneficial for Coulibaly. The Wizards want him to continue shouldering hefty responsibilities on both ends of the court — no matter how taxing it is.

“There’s no managing [his workload],” Keefe said. “You just do it. This is part of the deal. If you want to be great — which he does — you got to get it done on both ends.”

The challenge will not be unique to Coulibaly. The Wizards drafted three rookies — Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George — who will be expected to contribute on both ends of the floor, too.

“That’s what it takes to win in this league,” Keefe said.

University of Maryland

Varun Shankar is The Post's Washington Wizards beat reporter.

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