Wizards Young Guard Surprising Early

The Washington Wizards are watching one of their key pieces grow this season.

Jeremy Brener | Nov 2, 2024

Oct 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) drives to the basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards knew Bilal Coulibaly would be a developmental project when he was chosen with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

However, it appears that he is early on arrival, especially on the offensive end of the floor.

The Athletic insider Joshua Robbins wrote about how surprising Coulibaly's development has been so far this season.

"Team officials and fans hoped Coulibaly would take a big step on offense in his second NBA season," Robbins wrote. "But during the preseason, he was nowhere near this assertive — or this good. (To be fair, he missed Washington’s final two exhibitions because of an injured left index finger.) Aside from a high rate of turnovers, he’s been superb in an enhanced playmaking role. It’s not just that he’s averaging 18.8 points or even that he’s shooting 59 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3. It’s his overall confidence. And, remember, he turned 20 in July. He has been impressive, and that’s important for Washington’s rebuild."

Coulibaly scored a career-high 27 points in the team's win earlier this week against the Atlanta Hawks, proving that he is ready to take more of a responsibility on offense

The 20-year-old came into the league as a defensive specialist, as teams were enamored by his size on the wing and his ability to defend on an NBA level while playing alongside No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama in France.

However, if Coulibaly can find a way to become a strong offensive player as well, he could emerge into one of the league's best young two-way players.

Coulibaly will look to build off of his career-high performance as the Wizards face off against the Miami Heat tonight in Mexico City. Tipoff is set for 9:30 p.m. ET.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Nov 2, 2024

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.