Wizards 2025-26 Player Grades: Bilal Coulibaly

"He still has some room to grow in other areas, like becoming a more consistent shooter and adding some muscle. The offseason is the perfect time for that, though. This season was looking like it would be another rough one for the third-year player, but he turned it around and showed some signs of life." - Bryson Akins

Bryson's Grade: B-

"I see it this way: Coulibaly wasn't viewed as a prospect who was guaranteed a second substantial contract with the Wizards before the season, let alone a few months ago, yet here he now stands as a guy who's all-but-clinched security with the team through the decade's end. He played his way into that position, and though he's still on the rawer side, Coulibaly's shown to be worthy of investment.

"Those early injury concerns played into underlying doubts as to whether the Frenchman could handle the grind of the NBA's regular season, as he's still yet to appear in 65 or more games through a completed campaign. And through 44 games, he'd yet to prove dependable not only as a regular on the Wizards' injury report, but also as a rebuilding fixture. The 3-ball had stagnated, he was shooting under 40% from the field and Coulibaly had never looked more tentative as a scorer.

"But when March hit, everything seemed to change. It's a period that's known for garnering suspect statlines out of fringe-starters feasting while stars and teams alike let go of the rope as the regular season schedule winds down, but the wing's play with and without other lead options opened eyes."

"With a natural lob-passer in Trae Young joining the squad, Coulibaly was finally offered some semblance of structure. The athletic finisher was exquisite in challenging the rim as an off-ball cutter while leveraging that improved jumper against defenders, and managed to translate that enhanced aggression and confidence into more vacant lineups later in the season after Young made his permanent return to the IR.

"The rate at which he got shots up may not be sustainable alongside a fully healthy starting lineup, a five-man group in which Coulibaly's yet to guarantee a spot, but Wizards fans have a much better idea as to how he can factor into winning in a more simplified role. His jump in offensive control has combined with his natural defensive instincts to assure fans that he's worth prioritizing entering the next phase of Washington's master plan, with the high-upside former lottery pick finally inching closer to tapping into his full potential." - Henry J. Brown

Henry's Grade: B