Washington Wizards wing Bilal Coulibaly is like a ball of clay. Well, one with an incredible defensive foundation, as the 2023 No. 7 pick looks like he’ll be one of the league’s best perimeter defenders for years to come. He even showed his gumption in the Paris Olympics gold medal game.
Interestingly, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins tells Sports Junkies that he was watching the young wing play for the French national team in-person during the Olympics. Though he didn’t delve into his the full extent of his takeaways, he seemed content with what he saw.
Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins Looks At Bilal Coulibaly’s Next Steps
“He’s had a great summer,” Dawkins says of Coulibaly. “Physically, when you guys see him he’s filled out. But the experience he had playing for France, winning the silver medal and going over there and getting those opportunities [was great].”
“I think he’s still figuring (his offense) out, too,” he says candidly. “He’s young, he’s 19. But the progress for him, we knew he was going to be a defensive player first, but you’ll see him with the ball a little bit more, getting downhill and physically once his shoulders grow into that contact, I think he’ll be able to add more to the scoreboard, too,”
“If he didn’t have that wrist injury (in 2023-24), I think those last 16 games would’ve been huge for him in terms of just making plays, seeing a little bit more on the offensive end.”
The Offense Is Behind The Defense
Coulibaly’s first dip in the NBA was somewhat disappointing, culminating with his failure to secure an All-Rookie selection. From a statistical standpoint, it was certainly underwhelming, at least offensively.
In 63 games, he averaged 8.4 points per contest, shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from 3. To make matters worse, his efficiency fell off a cliff after the All-Star break. The youngster shot 44.4 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3 prior to the league’s annual interlude, but 39.5 percent from the field and 28.2 percent from 3-point range.
Numbers aside, Coulibaly played a limited role.
Prior to the draft, he was an on-ball scorer and playmaker who attacked the rim regularly. He had a preference for how he played; a natural play style. However, with the Wizards, he was often spotting up in the corner. Indeed, 48.1 percent of his 3-point attempts were corner 3s last season.
How Can He Improve?
Coulibaly’s role and struggles both revolved around his need to get stronger. Dawkins alluded to that when discussing how he’s filled out his frame. On drives, he turned the ball over 10.6 percent of the time, underscoring his issues maintaining ball security after absorbing contact.
Yet, a more advanced ball-handling package would’ve helped as well. Coulibaly himself has said one of his offseason focuses is “being able to dribble the ball a little bit more and better” so he can improve as a shot-creator. He doesn’t need to be the next Kyrie Irving. Nonetheless, he’ll be able to better leverage his physical tools if he can escape ball-pressure.
It’s not just about having the moves though. Coulibaly has to be quick-witted and sharp. He has to be able to read or anticipate his man when he’s on offense like he does when he’s on defense.
Development is hardly a stepwise process though and rapid results aren’t guaranteed. The most important part is getting the reps —the opportunity —to explore his offensive game. There’s merit to not having him bite off more than he can chew, especially early. Still, the Wizards have to take the kiddie gloves off eventually.
Only then can they see what he’s really made of.
