Inside The Wizards

Wizards Have Emerging Foundation Piece

The Washington Wizards are seeing positive growth from one of their young players.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 22, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Nov 22, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the ball as Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) defends in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In this story:

Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly is back on track after entering and exiting the NBA's concussion protocol following a hit to the head against the Detroit Pistons.

Now that Coulibaly is back, he can pick up where he left off. Before the injury, Coulibaly was one of the league's most impressive second-year players and his leap from Year 1 to Year 2 was very evident.

Coulibaly's teammate Jordan Poole gets a front-row view of his evolution, and that has him excited.

“I think everybody in the league knows what BC is capable of,” Poole said. “Everybody in our team knows and he's just a really good player just being able to go out there, play 40 [minutes] and just have the impact that he had on the defensive end, being aggressive on the offensive end getting to the cup but also making the right plays. He's a really good player, he's continuing to get better each and every day.”

The biggest part of Coulibaly's game that has taken a step forward is his efficiency and ability to create for himself.

With Tyus Jones no longer on the team, the Wizards lacked a true point guard to create. That put the responsibility more in Coulibaly's hands. With Malcolm Brogdon now in the fold, that responsibility may wane a little bit, but it's important to note that he has the reps and can create when needed.

Coulibaly has the full green light from the coaching staff to make mistakes, mess up and try, and that could ultimately be what makes him a great player in the NBA for years to come.

Coulibaly and the Wizards look to bounce back in their next game, an NBA Cup affair against Nikola Vucevic and the Chicago Bulls at home.

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