While the Washington Wizards have been one of the worst teams in the NBA with a 2-11 record, the team has seen a lot of growth from second-year player Bilal Coulibaly.
Coulibaly, 20, was the No. 7 overall pick by the Wizards in the 2023 NBA Draft and he has made a lot of noise early in the season. Coulibaly is averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Wizards this season, a step up from his rookie averages.
The Ringer released its top 100 rankings and Coulibaly just narrowly made the cut at No. 99.
“Early in his second season, Coulibaly’s efficiency is skyrocketing even as he’s assuming much more offensive responsibility, including being a more aggressive driver. Meanwhile, he’s defending the opponent’s best perimeter scorer every night. In the future, Coulibaly could develop into an elite 3-and-D wing; he could also be something more, given his current trajectory. In the present, Coulibaly might already be the Wizards’ best player—no small feat for a rising forward who’s still too young to buy a postgame beer,” Zach Kram of The Ringer writes.
The Wizards may not win a single one of their final 69 games left, but if Coulibaly continues to grow at the rate he has been, it will be a step forward for Washington.
Eventually, Coulibaly will be able to lead the Wizards to victory if he plays like he has, so Washington shouldn’t have to worry about its budding French star.
Coulibaly is still recovering from his headache that caused him to miss the team’s latest game against the New York Knicks, but there is a chance that he could return to the floor when the Wizards face off against the Boston Celtics in their next NBA Cup matchup tomorrow at Capital One Arena.
