Inside The Wizards

Wizards Guard on Path Towards All-Star Career

The Washington Wizards could have a player on the path towards greatness.

Jeremy Brener

Jan 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) looks on during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) looks on during the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
In this story:

When the Washington Wizards selected Bilal Coulibaly in the 2023 NBA Draft, they knew he had the chance to be someone special.

As a young guard from France, Coulibaly didn't have much attention on him until the year before his move to the NBA. Playing with Metropolitans 92 alongside eventual No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama wooed scouts over to him, and his meteoric rise during the pre-draft process ended with him becoming the No. 7 overall pick.

Coulibaly has continued to grow in the NBA, and Bleacher Report writer Mo Dakhil believes he could be in the All-Star Game sometime in the next three years.

"This is only Coulibaly's second year, and he has a ways to go in his development. He has improved as a playmaker, averaging 3.6 assists on 17 percent usage. Coulibaly's assist percentage has shot up from 8.6 percent as a rookie to 15.5 percent," Dakhil writes.

"At just 20 years old, Coulibaly is just scratching the surface of what he can do and is still learning the game. The talent is there, and he'll have to improve as a scoring threat, but Coulibaly can be an All-Star by 2028."

Coulibaly came into the league with a strong defensive game, but the Wizards always envisioned him as a creator on offense as well. Last season, he didn't get as many touches as he was dipping his toes in the league, but now he is ankle-deep and a change has been made.

With his ankles now in the water, there is reason to believe he could jump right in over the next three years and rise towards the cream of the crop as part of the next young wave of talent in the league.

Coulibaly and the Wizards are back in action tomorrow night against the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. ET.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/Washington Wizards News