Bilal Coulibaly is Generating Buzz as Potential Raptors Draft Pick at No. 13

The Toronto Raptors have been tabbed to select Bilal Coulibaly as the Frenchman's draft stock continues to rise

Aaron Rose | Jun 2, 2023

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Toronto Raptors

Bilal Coulibaly appears to be skyrocketing up draft boards with less than a month to before the NBA Draft and has potentially been linked to the Toronto Raptors at No. 13.

The 18-year-old Frenchman and teammate of Victor Wembanyama has reportedly been promised a spot in the top 14, according to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman. The Oklahoma City Thunder are thought to be one of the teams targeting Coulibaly at No. 12, per Rafael Barlowe. If not Oklahoma City, the Raptors are a team known for taking risks on high-upside prospects like Coulibaly, as Wasserman noted.

Coulibaly has drawn comparisons to O.G. Anunoby as another long and versatile defender that fits the Raptors’ mold. He’s 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and is ferocious on the defensive end.

“His natural feel for the game is impressive, especially at his age. He’s also a very good athlete that uses his length and pop well,” wrote Sports Illustrated.

Offensively, though, Coulibaly needs work. He showed very little scoring ability when playing in France’s top league and struggles to create for himself and others. His assist-to-turnover ratio was at best one-to-one and often a little more turnover-prone than ideal.

“The shooting form looks okay with just a few tweaks here and there but most of it all he will have to speed up the shot and eliminate the low dip,” wrote Sports Illustrated. “You could see the 18-year-old making wide-open catch and shoot 3-point opportunities this next season but anything more than that will take some time.”

Against top competition, Coulibaly averaged just 5.5 points with three rebounds per game in 19 minutes played. Those numbers did skyrocket, though, in the lower levels where he averaged 22 points on 53% shooting. His three-point stroke at all levels sat at 34% but on just 2.3 three-pointers attempted per game.

If Toronto is trying to win now, Coulibaly likely isn’t the ideal pick for the Raptors due to his still-developing skill set. If, however, the Raptors decide to pivot toward a more long-term view, Coulibaly has the raw skills that should interest teams toward the end of the lottery.

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