The Washington Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA this year at 3-19, but they are in the midst of a rebuild and are in the midst of tanking for Cooper Flagg. They had a losing streak of 16 games and did not win a game for the entire month of November.
However, there is still a lot of intriguing young talent on the Wizards roster that they are developing, but one player is separating himself as a potential core piece for the long term.
Bilal Coulibaly has all the tools and potential to become an elite two-way player for the Washington Wizards.
Coming into his rookie season last year, the consensus around Coulibaly was that he was a very raw prospect that needed to develop offensively but had immense defensive ability. He showcased that in his rookie season, averaging a steal and a block per game while being second on the team in defensive rating. He was also second on the team in deflections per game and loose balls recovered.
This season, though, Coulibaly has shown improvement in his offensive game. His points per game have jumped from 8.4 to 11.8, his assists have jumped from 1.7 to 3.1, and his shots per game have increased from 6.9 to 9.7.
His efficiency numbers on the surface do not look amazing, as he is shooting 43 percent from the field and only 27 percent from three-point range. However, he has shown improvements in a couple of key areas offensively.
Coulibaly has increased his rim scoring percentage from shots between zero and three feet from 66.7 percent last season to 74.5 percent this season. His scoring in the restricted area has jumped as well from 63.2 percent to 68.8 percent.
Coulibaly’s shooting is still a work in progress, but he has shown some growth in that area. On shots 16 feet and further last season, he was at 25 percent, but this season he is at 37 percent. His corner three-point shooting has remained steady, as he was at 38 percent last season and is hovering around 37 percent this season. The shooting still remains the biggest issue in his game, but he is headed in the right direction.
Coulibaly’s offensive game is still a work in progress, but he has shown signs of growth in that area of the floor. What is most encouraging is that his defense remains elite this season, as opponents are shooting 44 percent with him as the primary defender, and he has ten games of two or more steals.
In a league where two-way forwards are vital to team success, Coulibaly has all the tools to become one of the better ones. His steady growth from year one to year two offensively is encouraging to see, and while he still has a ways to go, the 20-year-old is showing the potential he has.