Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly Speaks Out About Teammate's Snub

Was one of Bilal Coulibaly's Washington Wizards teammates snubbed from the All-Star game?

Feb 10, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) handles the ball during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

At this year's All-Star game in San Francisco, the Washington Wizards sent three players to the Rising Stars game. Those three players were 2nd-year player Bilal Coulibaly and rookies Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington.

Sending three players to the Rising Stars game is a benchmark and a milestone for a team like the Wizards but could they have sent four? Here's two reasons why Kyshawn George should have been considered for the Rising Stars game:

Versatility

It's understandable why the general NBA audience doesn't know much about Kyshawn George but according to teammate Bilal Coulibaly, not only should the NBA take notice of Kyshawn, he was snubbed out of the Rising Stars game.

When asked who else should have gone to San Francisco, "I'll say probably Kyshawn George," Coulibaly said, per the Wizards' YouTube account. "You can look up the stats, I think he deserves to be here. It is what it is, I know he's going to come back stronger and come here next year for sure."

With George being a late 1st round pick, he didn't carry the same expectations as earlier pick Alex Sarr, but shouldered the same amount of pressure. Early in the 1st half of the season when Kyle Kuzma went down with an injury, George had to fill in at power forward and did a great job not only offensively, but defensively. He has exceeded expectations, especially in areas where he wasn't expected to excel in.

Defense has been just as good as the offense

The Wizards selected Kyshawn George with the 24th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. After an excellent freshman year in Miami, George garnered attention due to his excellent three-point shooting and size. While he has the intangibles to be a good defender, it was his three-point shooting that had scouts excited. Don't sleep on the defense though.

George has also shown some promise on the defensive end as a physical defender because he knows how to use his size. He's 6'8 but plays like a guard which gives him the ability to guard 1-4. The Wizards Front Office values players who are versatile and Kyshawn George fits the bill.

George shows glimpses of being a potential elite 3-and-D wing who can also play shooting guard but, like with most rookies, it will take some more time, something the Wizards have in spades.

Not only will Kyshawn play with a chip on his shoulder due to the Rising Stars snub, but he will have the opportunity in the 2nd half to continue to develop and show the NBA that the Wizards have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league. Stay tuned, it's going to get better.

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