The European contingent in the 2023 NBA draft is starting to take shape. Bilal Coulibaly and James Nnaji, two potential first-round draft picks, officially declared for the draft on April 20. Coulibaly and Nnaji are slated to be among the youngest players in this draft.
2023 Draft: Bilal Coulibaly and James Nnaji Are Two Europeans Players to Keep an Eye On
Who are the Other European Players Entering the 2023 Draft?
Coulibaly and Nnaji join eight other top European prospects to enter the draft recently, including the presumption No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembenyama. Wembenyama committed to the draft on Friday.
Other European prospects who have entered the draft thus far are Rayan Rupert, Nadir Hafir, and Tristan Vukcevic. 19-year-old twins Zvonimir Ivisic and Tomislav Ivisic, Ousmane N’Diaye, and Mihailo Boskovic are the other players to submit their names.
The NBA Combine will be held May 15-21 in Chicago. Early entrants will have until June 12 to withdraw from the June 22 draft.
Who is Bilal Coulibaly ?
Coulibaly is a late-blooming 18-year-old. The 6-foot-8, 194-pound Frenchman stood at just 5-11 two years ago. He currently plays alongside projected No. 1 draft pick Wembenyama for Metropolitans 92 (Paris) of LNB Pro.
Coulibaly averages 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 16 minutes over 22 appearances in 2022-23. He has come on strong lately, scoring in double-figures in four of his last nine appearances, including the previous two outings. Coulibaly posted his first double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds the last time out against Limoges CSP (April 15).
“My defensive abilities allowed me to get on the court and impact the team in a positive way,” Coulibaly told ESPN’s draft expert Jonathan Givony. “I credit being part of the professional group early on, being integrated quickly into the group and having a coach as great as Vincent Collet guide me. My confidence grew as opportunities came.”
“I got better physically and technically. I’m focusing on my jump shot, but really I work on everything to be as complete a player as I can. The key has been just being confident and implementing in games what I learn in practice.”
Film Study
Coulibaly is trying to figure things out, particularly since his growth spurt. He is a highly explosive athlete who is long, possessing a 7-2 wingspan. Coulibaly has solid handles and is a three-level scorer that is quick off the bounce. He is an excellent spot-up 3-point shooter though his release is a little slow.
Strengths: Finishes well at the rim, highly explosive in transition, defense, speed, size
Weakness: 3-point shooting, inexperience, playmaking, strength, free-throw shooting
What Others Say About Coulibaly
“With his elite dimensions, Coulibaly’s defensive potential is considerable, as he is regularly tasked with slowing down point guards and shows impressive quickness covering ground and contesting shots on the perimeter. Although not a consistent shooter, Coulibaly grew up a guard and retains many of those perimeter skills.” – Givony
Who is James Nnaji?
Nnaji is an 18-year-old who won’t turn 19 until August 14 and is a physically gifted prospect who is very raw. The 6-11 prospect is a member of Spanish ACB Club Barcelona, participating in the EuroLeague playoffs after finishing second during the regular season.
In his second season on the senior club, Nnaji is producing 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds on 67.9% shooting from the field in less than 10 minutes a game over 38 contests across Liga ACB and EuroLeague competition.
Nnaji started playing basketball less than seven years ago in his homeland of Nigeria. He moved to Ratgeber Basketball Academy in Hungary for years before heading to Barcelona in 2020.
What the film says
Looking at the film, Nnaji is very mobile and rolls hard to the basket on pick-n-rolls. Nnaji is a strong finisher at the rim and possesses excellent footwork. He can put the ball on the floor but is very limited offensively.
Strengths: Physical skill, length (possessing 7-5 wingspan), footwork, finishing through contact, mobility, quickness, ability to play PNR, shot-blocking
Weakness: Free-throw shooting, range, face-up game, inexperience
What Others Say About Nnaji
“Despite his lack of playing time, NBA scouts consider Nnaji perhaps the most physically gifted player in the 2023 draft, standing 6-foot-11, 226 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and tremendous quickness and explosiveness that make him a highlight-reel caliber finisher and shot-blocker.” — Givony.
Where Will Coulibaly and Nnaji Get Drafted?
Neither Coulibaly nor Nnaji is ready to contribute to an NBA team this year. So, it wouldn’t be surprising that either player decides to withdraw from the 2023 draft after participating in the Combine and talking to NBA executives.
If they remain in the draft, Coulibaly is the most promising prospect due to his two-way potential. He projects to be selected between No. 14-26.
Nnaji is more of a long-term investment. While Nnaji may be chosen late in the first round, he is more likely to get selected in the early second round (between No. 31-45).
