Mar 8, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) controls the ball as Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) tries to defend during the first quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

What Can Wizards Expect from Bilal Coulibaly?

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Tyrone Montgomery | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 7:00 AM ET

As each year passes by, everyone wants to go upward in life and grow. Many people make New Year’s resolutions and hope to get rid of bad habits they may have had before. The Washington Wizards are hoping that will be the case for many on the team.

One player in particular the Wizards have high hopes for is Bilal Coulibaly. With the seventh pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers selected him out of France. The Wizards saw a lot of potential with him, so they felt the need to trade for Coulibaly.

This move has proved beneficial for the Wizards. In just his rookie season, Coulibaly averaged eight points, four rebounds and one assist per game. He was a menace defensively as well. The future felt promising for Coulibaly.

Within his second season in the NBA this past year, Coulibaly improved his numbers as he averaged 12 points, three assists and five rebounds per game. His usage rate increased from his rookie season as well as his minutes too. The Wizards certainly have high hopes and dreams in mind for Coulibaly.

With that being said, as he enters into his third season in the league, it is important to have realistic expectations for him. The Wizards are trending in the right direction as a team overall. As they continue to grow, Coulibaly is growing too. That means that his totals should increase once again.

Bilal on IG

“Let me remind y’all”

- year 3 is gonna be scary #talksoon pic.twitter.com/E2kEQdbzXD
— riley ｼ (@rileyricharrds) April 24, 2025

We can expect Coulibaly to continue to have an increased usage rate and play even more minutes. His feel for the game in the NBA seems to really be coming into place. His scoring should go up a lot as he enters into year three, too. He is a wing player the Wizards desperately need to be able to get his own shots.

This season, we saw Coulibaly take more shots and look more comfortable on the offensive end. His confidence is at an all-time high. The Wizards should expect Coulibaly to be a borderline All-Star if the team is winning and if he is healthy.

However, in order for that to happen, the Wizards must continue to allow him to have a fair share offensively, even after they get another key player for their future in the 2025 NBA Draft.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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