Inside The Wizards

Wizards Guard Among Top 100 NBA Players

The Washington Wizards have one entry in The Ringer's Top 100 NBA players list.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) drives to the basket as Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) drives to the basket as Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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While the Washington Wizards have been one of the worst teams in the NBA with a 2-11 record, the team has seen a lot of growth from second-year player Bilal Coulibaly.

Coulibaly, 20, was the No. 7 overall pick by the Wizards in the 2023 NBA Draft and he has made a lot of noise early in the season. Coulibaly is averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for the Wizards this season, a step up from his rookie averages.

The Ringer released its top 100 rankings and Coulibaly just narrowly made the cut at No. 99.

"Early in his second season, Coulibaly’s efficiency is skyrocketing even as he’s assuming much more offensive responsibility, including being a more aggressive driver. Meanwhile, he’s defending the opponent’s best perimeter scorer every night. In the future, Coulibaly could develop into an elite 3-and-D wing; he could also be something more, given his current trajectory. In the present, Coulibaly might already be the Wizards’ best player—no small feat for a rising forward who’s still too young to buy a postgame beer," Zach Kram of The Ringer writes.

The Wizards may not win a single one of their final 69 games left, but if Coulibaly continues to grow at the rate he has been, it will be a step forward for Washington.

Eventually, Coulibaly will be able to lead the Wizards to victory if he plays like he has, so Washington shouldn't have to worry about its budding French star.

Coulibaly is still recovering from his headache that caused him to miss the team's latest game against the New York Knicks, but there is a chance that he could return to the floor when the Wizards face off against the Boston Celtics in their next NBA Cup matchup tomorrow at Capital One Arena.

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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.

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