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Wizards NBA Draft: Rookie Bilal Coulibaly 'Reminds Me of Clyde Drexler'; Glenn Consor

The selection of new Washington Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly is drawing praise as an NBA Draft pick, and an early comparison to Clyde Drexler, one of the best to ever play the game.

Did the Washington Wizards make the right move trading with the Indiana Pacers for forward Bilal Coulibaly? 

That answer will really have to wait for a little while even though many will already have their opinions about what the Wizards did in the first round of this year's NBA Draft. 

One of those opinions certainly seems to lean toward Washington making the right move, as Coulibaly is already drawing praise and comparisons to an all-time great from one analyst. 

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"He's so young, but he can score, he's got a great feel for the game," said Wizards analyst Glenn Consor when reacting to the addition of Coulibaly. "And he's just learning. They love his upside, and he's skilled, I mean he can put it on the floor, he knows how to score. But on the break, he kind of reminds me of Clyde Drexler...that type of athleticism." 

To be fair Consor said specifically that the rookie's ability to finish on the break reminded him of Drexler, not his entire game. 

Still, any comparisons to legends will draw some excitement and also has a tendency to raise expectations.

"He's a dunking machine when he runs the floor on the break," Consor continued. "He can score, he's very poised. He's someone that if you talk to NBA scouts around the league and say, 'Who's got the most upside of any player in this draft?', his name is in the top three."

Of course, one of the other three players those scouts would talk about as well is without a doubt center Victor Wembenyama who was incredibly excited to see his teammate get drafted. 

READ MORE: Wizards Trade Up in First Round 

If Consor's analysis is accurate then Wembenyama won't be the last person celebrating Coulibaly's arrival to the NBA. 

And Washington fans may find a reason to find renewed excitement for their team despite the departure of a pair of star players this offseason.


Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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