Inside The Wizards

Wizards Second-Year Guard Has Breakout Potential

The Washington Wizards want to see growth from their second-year pro.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) shoots the ball as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) defend in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) shoots the ball as Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) defend in the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards were drinking the kool-aid when the hype surrounding Bilal Coulibaly was growing ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft.

The 6-8 French wing and teammate of No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama earned enough promise that he ended up being selected at No. 7 by the Wizards. Coulibaly stayed healthy throughout most of the season before suffering a wrist injury in March that knocked him out for the rest of the year.

In his rookie campaign, Coulibaly averaged 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for the Wizards while shooting just under 35 percent from beyond the 3-point line.

While the numbers didn't jump off the page, some grace is given to him considering he was 19 years old throughout the season. After turning 20, Coulibaly represented France in the Paris Olympics, where his country was able to snag the silver medal in front of the locals, losing to the United States in the gold medal game.

Coulibaly is still growing, both literally and figuratively, which should make the Wizards really excited. His length on the perimeter allows him to defend multiple positions, making him one of the more versatile players on the team. He can fit into a number of lineups alongside Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, rookie Alex Sarr and others.

It remains to be seen how much Coulibaly will make an impact for the Wizards this season. Coach Brian Keefe may trust him a little more given his experience from a year ago, and if he can grow even more with his play in the upcoming season, he could establish himself as a surefire piece of the team's core moving forward.

Coulibaly and the Wizards are set to face off against the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow in their penultimate preseason game at the Barclays Center.

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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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