Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. The described techniques enable a first wireless device (e.g., an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node in an IAB system) or a network entity (e.g., a centralized unit (CU) in the IAB system) to select a set of wireless devices for communication. The first wireless device, the CU, or both may select the set of wireless devices for communication based on a pathloss mode of the first wireless device, whether an angular separation between a group of nodes (e.g., one or more of the set of wireless devices) is less than an angular separation threshold, or both. The first wireless device may communicate with the set of wireless devices with one or more communications beams. For example, the device may communicate with multiple wireless devices using a single communication beam if the angular separation between the multiple devices is relatively low.