Wizards Notes: Tyus Jones, Kyle Kuzma, Bilal Coulibaly

Point guard Tyus Jones said the Wizards will rely on a little bit of experience to help carry them through the season, as all the new faces get to know each other. Jones, of course, is among them.

“I’ve been on winning teams, I’ve been on losing teams, and so for me, it’s something that you kinda get to see what works and what doesn’t work,” he told reporters. “Even on some of those winning teams, you start to figure out what doesn’t work all the time, things like that. So I try to bring some of that here, as well as some of our other vets.

Jones named forwards Taj Gibson, Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari as examples.

“They’ve been around, they’ve been on winning teams, playoff teams,” Jones said. “They’ve also been on losing teams as well. So we’re trying to just bring that and use that as our leadership and build, and also just kinda create our own culture here at the same time.”

• Forward Kyle Kuzma has become the face of the team and sounds as if it’s a challenge he welcomes. “There’s not really pressure because I’m in a role where I can do what I want,” Kuzma told Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. “I have opportunities to do certain things on the court and I’m confident in my abilities. I’m going to be even less restricted than I was the past two years. It should be a good year.”
• Jones said he’s already impressed with rookie small forward Bilal Coulibaly. “High, high energy, high motor. He moves effortlessly,” Jones told reporters. “He gets up and down the court easy. Great athlete and great instincts, both offensively — obviously, everyone knows defensively — but offensively as well.”
• Coach Wes Unseld Jr. said he has faith in the Wizards’ new plan, but that it’s “going to take time.” We have that full post here.

A cutting layup from Tyus Jones and a 3 from Corey Kispert: pic.twitter.com/PMnmkf5KyT

— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) October 6, 2023