Feb 5, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) reacts after recording a triple-double in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Wizards 2025-2026 Player Profiles: Bilal Coulibaly

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Bryson Akins | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 3:15 PM ET

We are now two weeks away from NBA training camps being back. Some teams have some new faces, including the Washington Wizards, who acquired CJ McCollum during the offseason. They also have some returning faces, like Alex Sarr, who is looking to make a second-year statement. Then some players have every eye on them, like Bilal Coulibaly.

Coulibaly is going into what could be the most crucial year of his career, and it's off to a rough start with an injury suffered during EuroBasket. He played well during the tournament before his injury, but afterwards, he took a clear step back. Now he is supposed to miss some time in the preseason and potentially the regular season.

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Coulibaly had a regression in his second season when it came to efficiency. He saw himself become the full-time starting forward, but this was not an excuse for his dropoff in shooting percentages. He was a 28.1 percent shooter from three, which is significantly worse than what he did in his rookie campaign.

During EuroBasket, he showed glimpses of showing that the previous season was just a fluke. Then, once he was injured, everything became clouded again about what kind of step he was going to take. With players like Kyshawn George and Cam Whitmore on the team, Coulibaly will need to have a great season if he wants to secure a rookie extension.

Measurements:

6'8" Inches Tall
7'3" Wingspan
195 Pounds

Strengths:

Length as a Defender
Athletic
Defense

Weaknesses:

Three Point Shooting
Effeciency
Health
Turnovers

Preseason Thoughts:

This is the make-or-break season for Coulibaly and his time with the Wizards. His season can go two ways. The first is that he takes another step back once returning from injury, and he is traded. The second is that he comes back looking like a future All-Star, and the team decides to invest in him.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

As previously mentioned in a past article, this is a red pill or blue pill situation regarding his future in Washington. The most significant part of his game he must fix is his three-point shooting. Those numbers were just atrocious last season and are not viable for any forward in the NBA. When you think of it more, Coulibaly just has to improve so much offensively if he wants to make it work in Washington.

He is not a bad defender and knows how to get into the paint offensively. Just when he is asked to shoot outside the painted area, it turns into a prayer. Coulibaly is also a good playmaker for his size and position. He has the potential to average 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. Will he realize this potential this season, though, especially coming back from surgery?

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

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