Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) shoots the ball as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) defend in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Wizards Second-Year Guard Has Breakout Potential

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Oct 13, 2024 9:00 AM ET

The Washington Wizards were drinking the kool-aid when the hype surrounding Bilal Coulibaly was growing ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft.

The 6-8 French wing and teammate of No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama earned enough promise that he ended up being selected at No. 7 by the Wizards. Coulibaly stayed healthy throughout most of the season before suffering a wrist injury in March that knocked him out for the rest of the year.

In his rookie campaign, Coulibaly averaged 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Wizards while shooting just under 35 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

While the numbers didn't jump off the page, some grace is given to him considering he was 19 years old throughout the season. After turning 20, Coulibaly represented France in the Paris Olympics, where his country was able to snag the silver medal in front of the locals, losing to the United States in the gold medal game.

Coulibaly is still growing, both literally and figuratively, which should make the Wizards really excited. His length on the perimeter allows him to defend multiple positions, making him one of the more versatile players on the team. He can fit into a number of lineups alongside Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, rookie Alex Sarr and others.

It remains to be seen how much Coulibaly will make an impact for the Wizards this season. Coach Brian Keefe may trust him a little more given his experience from a year ago, and if he can grow even more with his play in the upcoming season, he could establish himself as a surefire piece of the team's core moving forward.

Coulibaly and the Wizards are set to face off against the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow in their penultimate preseason game at the Barclays Center.

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