Wizards Should Bench This Guard

After a busy and eventful offseason, the Washington Wizards have added depth at the guard position. With the additions of Tre Johnson and CJ McCollum, they could move last season's starter to the bench.

Bilal Coulibaly saw himself start in every game he played last season. His season was cut short though, due to a hamstring injury against the Toronto Raptors on March 10th. Coulibaly finished his second NBA season, averaging 12.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. These are all increases from his rookie season, which can be attributed to Coulibaly becoming the team's full-time starter. The downside to his second season was that he was less efficient, shooting 28.1 percent from behind the arc and averaging 2.1 turnovers a game.

Coulibaly did see an increase in shot attempts, but it was not a huge increase. The former lottery pick saw his shot attempts increase from 6.9 to 10.6 per game, and his three-point attempts rose from 2.9 to 3.8 attempts per night. The guard's three-point attempts did not jump by even a single shot attempt, but his percentage dropped by 6.5 percent.

Being a good shooter is crucial in the NBA, and Coulibaly proved to be a more effective shooter off the bench. The Wizards as a whole need to shoot the three-ball better, as they ranked 29th in three-point percentage last season. The addition of rookie Tre Johnson and veteran CJ McCollum, who hit the three-point ball at a 37.3 percent clip last season, will likely lead to Coulibaly moving to the bench.

For most players, this would lead to their numbers dropping, but Coulibaly is the perfect guard off the bench for the Wizards. His rookie season proved that, as he had his best shooting splits his first year. This allows the squad to have a shotmaker off the bench. It also brings a versatile player to sub for a multitude of players.

At 6-foot-8, Coulibaly can be slotted at multiple positions off the bench. He can run the point or even play a stretch four. His defense wouldn't be a liability, either, as he can guard every position. His defense can also only improve, as former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart can now mentor him.

With multiple veterans in his position, along with the addition of sixth-overall pick Tre Johnson, it will be hard for Coulibaly to start. Still, this will ultimately benefit Coulibaly and the Wizards, leading to improved production from the bench unit. The Frenchman still has room to grow as a player, but this year should be his breakout year in the league.