Inside The Wizards

Wizards Not Concerned With Bilal Coulibaly

Bilal Coulibaly has struggled, but the Washington Wizards aren't worried.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 30, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) brings the ball up the court against Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Nov 30, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) brings the ball up the court against Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
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Washington Wizards second-year guard Bilal Coulibaly has cooled down after a red-hot start to the season.

After averaging 18.8 points per game in the month of October, Coulibaly's average dropped to just 10.8 points per game in November.

Even though he isn't as prolific on the offensive side of the ball as he was at the beginning of the season, Wizards head coach Brian Keefe is not concerned about Coulibaly's lower average.

“We have different combinations that are playing together now so some of it is lineup combinations he's getting used to,” Keefe said. “[We] played a lineup we hadn't played before and that's a totally different thing for him too. [I’m] not worried about him at all. The defense was impressive.”

Coulibaly, 20, came into the league as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft because of his ability to defend multiple positions at a high level despite only being a prospect. The offensive game was always the part that was going to need improvement, but the Wizards felt he could emerge into being a creator.

Coulibaly flashed that potential early in the season, proving to be a menace on the court when it came to finding his shot. However, the introduction of Malcolm Brogdon into the lineup has taken the ball out of Coulibaly's hands a little bit, which is a big reason behind his lack of scoring.

Once Coulibaly gets into a rhythm of playing alongside Brogdon and still finding his way to contribute, the Wizards could have another bona fide creator on their hands.

Coulibaly and the Wizards will return to the court tomorrow when they take on the league-best Cleveland Cavaliers in the final game of the Emirates NBA Cup. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

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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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