Dec 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Wizards Guard Among Best Young Players

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Dec 5, 2024 12:00 PM ET

The Washington Wizards aren't enjoying it now, but they have reasons to be optimistic about their future.

A big reason for that has been the development of second-year pro Bilal Coulibaly, who was named to ESPN's 25 Under 25 list.

"Coulibaly was the other draft prospect alongside Victor Wembanyama two years ago in France, but Coulibaly's combination of length and explosiveness made him the No. 7 pick in the 2023 draft by Washington. After playing last season at 19 (and looking every bit his age), Coulibaly has made real strides on offense, including improving his field goal percentage from 43.5% to 48.2%. If he continues to develop in the same manner, he could easily make leaps up this list in future campaigns," ESPN insider Tim Bontemps writes.

Coulibaly, 20, is averaging 12.3 points per game so far this season for the Wizards. That's up from his 8.4 points per game average from his rookie season, but down from where he was towards the beginning of the year.

Coulibaly is simply adjusting to what is being shown in front of him, and that is okay for the Wizards. The franchise has time to get Coulibaly acclimated and he will eventually figure out how to perform at a high level on a consistent basis. Part of that process means getting better players on the court alongside him, and that will likely happen over the course of the next several drafts if the Wizards continue to be one of the worst teams in the league.

Coulibaly and the Wizards are back in action tonight as they begin a three-game stretch at home that starts when they play Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks. Tipoff for the game is set for 7 p.m. ET insider Capital One Arena.

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