Dec 5, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) abd Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) battle for the ball in the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Wizards Guard Falling Out of Rhythm

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Dec 6, 2024 3:00 PM ET

The Washington Wizards have struggled over the course of their 16-game losing streak, but second-year pro Bilal Coulibaly has seen a noticeable decline.

After starting the season off really hot averaging nearly 20 points per game, Coulibaly has cooled off. He has failed to reach double digits in scoring in any of the last five games, including a four-point performance on 0 of 10 shooting in the team's latest loss against the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite his slump, Wizards head coach Brian Keefe believes he can snap out of this.

“Sometimes you get a little out of rhythm in certain things,” Keefe said of Coulibaly. “I think he's a little out of rhythm. We've added some new guys to the lineup sometimes different combinations can cause some of that. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes you go in these little things in your season, in your career. I got great faith in Bilal and his character and who he is. I actually thought he played a pretty game. [He] just didn't make some of the shots he has been making but he was aggressive. I thought his defense was pretty good at times. He'll get out of this I believe in his character.”

In a different situation, Coulibaly may have been benched. However, given the Wizards' current rebuild, Coulibaly is being granted the chance to shoot out of his slump. He may not have that opportunity with other teams than he would with the Wizards, so he should take advantage of what's in front of him and embrace the challenge.

Coulibaly and the Wizards will return to the floor tomorrow night when they take on the Denver Nuggets at home in hopes of avoiding the longest losing streak in franchise history. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

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