1 skill Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly promises he’ll develop

“I’m actually working on my playmaking a lot more, wanna get better at pick-and-rolls and everything, so yeah, probably my playmaking,” the French international said during practice on Sunday.

Although Coulibaly is a shooting guard, Washington’s offense could use a boost to his assist numbers from last season. Jordan Poole will start at point guard and be the primary ball-handler this year, but it never hurts to have multiple players who can create their own shot and looks for teammates.

Coulibaly’s passing is still a work in progress, as he has three assists through three preseason games this year. However, the 20-year-old shot well in both contests against the Toronto Raptors, going 4-for-6 from the floor on October 6th and 3-for-5 on Friday. Sandwiched in between, though, was a 1-for-9 effort against the New York Knicks, as he was stifled by their elite perimeter defense.

Employing pick-and-rolls with Alex Sarr and Jonas Valanciunas, as Coulibaly alluded to, could help space the floor and create opportunities against upper-echelon squads, especially when Poole is off the floor. While rookies Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington could be in the playmaking mix as well, more will be expected of Coulibaly as the second-year player.

Coulibaly, though, doesn’t lack confidence despite the bumps in the road.

Bilal Coulibaly feels good after bulking up for Wizards

Coulibaly is a new man this season. He claims to have gotten taller since last year and measured at 6-foot-7-and-a-half without shoes, via The Athletic’s Josh Robbins. On top of that, the 2024 Olympian added 10 pounds.

Coulibaly’s larger frame may have given him confidence , as he elevated for a rejection against Raptors All-Star Scottie Barnes on Friday. However, he admitted that he gets carried away sometimes, via Monumental Sports Network’s Chase Hughes.

“[His confidence is] Probably a little too high because I missed that wide-open dunk,” he said with a smile. “But I’m really confident. I can get to my spots, I know where I can raise up and everything, so yeah.”

Down 53-50 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter, Coulibaly blocked Barnes at the rim, leading to a possession on the other end.

“It’s cool, I’m just trying to block everybody, so it’s cool to block him,” Coulibaly said about the 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year.

While rim protection isn’t likely to be a big part of Coulibaly’s game moving forward, it’s those type of effort plays that should excite Washington fans. Having both a high motor and desire to improve are both key pillars of success for young players, and he fits the bill.

Monday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets is another opportunity for Coulibaly to build on his previous three outings, with emphasis on playmaking and efficient shooting. Between the rookies and Valanciunas, who’s a new free-agent signee, there are plenty of teammates that he needs more time to mesh with offensively as the regular season approaches.

The Wizards and Nets tip off at 7:30 PM EST at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.