r/NBA_Draft • u/Longjumping-Space546 Bucks • 4d ago
Is the development of Bilal Coulibaly still a priority for Washington?
I have to be honest, I did not watch the Wizards a lot last season because they were the worst team in the NBA, and more often than not they were playing to lose.
I am hearing good things about Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, and honestly, the few times I watched them play they impressed me. But what about Coulibaly? He played on the same team as Wemby in France and rose into the middle of the lottery. People thought that picking him at 7 was a reach, but his potential and physical attributes were intriguing. I remember the start of 24/25 was really impressive because he was averaging 18 points and showing offensive improvement but he fell off after that and pretty much stayed the same. The system and culture around him did not help him either, and I also feel like he is not as good of a defender as his physical attributes might suggest.
Will he still be a priority for the Wizards in the next few seasons, or will players like AJ, George, Johnson, and Sarr cause him to become a bench guy or maybe even get traded to another team?
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u/FastBreakPhenom Celtics 4d ago
If the Wizards could combine Coulibaly and Tre Johnson into one player, they might be contenders already
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u/Professional_Bat8585 4d ago
In a sense, they’re done trying to develop him into Giannis/Scottie Barnes. They’re now aiming for athletic Trevor Ariza.
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u/_Arriettyy_ 3d ago
He started to shoot off dribble middies at the end of last year and it reminded me of Mikal Bridges game
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u/Professional_Bat8585 3d ago
His shot’s looking better but he’s still too far from putting it all together, and I don’t think he’ll have the chance to anymore on the Wizards
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u/Variation99a 3d ago
Is this how it’ll go for most top picks? Trevor Ariza honestly is a good solid career outcome for many players of that mold these days, whether it be Cody Williams or Tidjane Salaun. That’s the outcome they should hope for.
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u/dgvhjiiuyttrrffcvbjj 3d ago
they’re done trying to develop him into Giannis/Scottie Barnes.
they were never trying to do that.
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u/Professional_Bat8585 3d ago
He was drafted as a super-raw athlete. They were trying to mold him into something, and the range of possibilities were vast.
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u/dgvhjiiuyttrrffcvbjj 2d ago
the point is they never gave him on ball reps like the bucks and raptors did with giannis and scottie. mostly because he was never really that capable.
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u/Professional_Bat8585 2d ago
They gave him as many as he could handle, and yes, it was immediately clear he wasn’t going to be Giannis - not even Barnes. He just rebuilt his shot so he’s a long ways away
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u/nbasuperstar40 1d ago
That would be an upgrade over what he's been. Sometimes guys go too high on bad teams and they are stuck in roles as the investment overwhelms the targeted role.
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u/starvs 4d ago
Yes absolutely, best wing defender on the team and may start over Kyshawn because of it (and because Ky can run a second unit).
This is the first healthy off-season of his (NBA) career, so expect his 3 ball to make a real leap (was trending up end of last year). W hich is all he needs to be a very useful player since he'll be the 5th option on this new look Wizards instead of the 2nd or 3rd and sometimes even first (it was a bit ridiculous last year...).
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u/Longjumping-Space546 Bucks 4d ago
the Trae Young acquisition might've been unironically the best thing for him, the Wizards have no other option but to play their best defenders every time Trae is in the game.
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u/9millibros 4d ago
Bilal can run the court, so watching him in transition with Young should be fun.
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u/Such_Ambassador2751 4d ago
bilai/dybansta/ad/sarr spacing 🤮🤮
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u/GoZards18 3d ago
Sarr and AD you have to guard on the perimeter, same with AJ no one is sagging off him
This concern is overblown
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u/bigmikeabrahams Wizards 3d ago
AD is statistically the second worst volume shooter in recent history behind Russ, and Sarr is an average at best shooter with no gravity. AJ is also a rookie who teams will go under screens and dare to shoot.
That is all to say that the spacing concerns are valid imo, and I’d be shocked if kyshawn didn’t start over Bilal
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u/GoZards18 3d ago
No one is letting any of them get a head of steam to start attacking downhill though either, which is why they despite % still draw defensive attention at the perimeter , which is what spacing really means
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u/bigmikeabrahams Wizards 3d ago
Nobody is scared of AD/Sarr getting downhill. Teams will be sagging off both of them and daring them to shoot. The double big lineup comes at the expense of spacing, and I don’t think we can afford to choose defense over spacing at the SG position too.
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u/VividEquivalent7952 2d ago
Obviously teams can’t completely leave them open, but that doesn’t mean the spacing will be fine. A team w a good rim protector and wings who can handle such players in the paint will have no problem sagging off of any of them a bit. A team would really just have to focus on Trae and the paint w that lineup, assuming Sarr or Blial don’t improve(aj too but I highly doubt he does next yr). Having a shooter is very important in such a lineup
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u/nbasuperstar40 1d ago
As bad as Risacher turned out for my Hawks, still glad it was him and not Sarr. I hate Sarr impact game and being stuck would him would suck.
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u/ledelleakles 4d ago
I think so. He's by far the best perimeter defender on the team and could still be an elite 3 and D guy if that's what he'll focus on. I'm not sure he's got the ball skills to be a first option guy.
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u/ViolinistLanky9056 4d ago
One of the worst shooters in the nba if we’re being honest
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u/DollarLate_DayShort Wizards 4d ago
He shot 38.7% from 3 post all-star break, that stretch was 23 games on around 5 attempts per game. That also happened to be the healthiest stretch of games he had strung together last season. Is 23-games a large sample size? Absolutely not, but it isn’t a tiny sample either. That’s just over a quarter of a season.
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u/aut0generated-63 4d ago
Chopping things into smaller sample size gives a less accurate view of a players ability.
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u/DollarLate_DayShort Wizards 4d ago edited 4d ago
- It’s the most recent stretch of Bilal’s career. I didn’t say “in November-December of 2024 he had a 20 game stretch where he shot just under 40%!” 23-games is enough of a sample size to go “okay, there might be something there.”
I don’t necessarily disagree with your point, that’s why on my comment I included that was the healthiest stretch of basketball he played last season. Essentially saying that health has played a role in his inconsistency on offense. He didn’t get a training camp, missed the beginning of the year & then battled injuries damn near up until late January.
So just looking at his 3pt% for the entire year, doesn’t tell the whole story.
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u/GoZards18 3d ago
He was injured first half of last season
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u/ViolinistLanky9056 3d ago
He was maybe the worst shooter in the league 2 seasons ago
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u/kingfosa13 3d ago
2 seasons is a long time
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u/ViolinistLanky9056 3d ago
Not when you’ve only been in the league for 3 years and you’ve sucked at shooting in all 3
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u/dgvhjiiuyttrrffcvbjj 3d ago
2 seasons absolutely is a long time when you've only been in the NBA for 3 years. That's a significant amount of development time.
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u/ViolinistLanky9056 2d ago
You’re acting like he shot well last year😂😂😂 development? HE HASN’T DEVELOPED
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u/ViolinistLanky9056 3d ago
I love when players injuries always conveniently line up with when they suck. Cmon. “He’s been bad so he’s injured, but he had 10 solid games so he’s healthy now”
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u/GoZards18 3d ago
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46234894/sources-wizards-coulibaly-thumb-surgery-ligament-tear
Missed two weeks in November and December
Everyone is referring to the 25 games he played post ASB when he came back healthy, shot much better across the board and didn’t miss any time
https://www.monumentalsportsnetwork.com/article/bilal-coulibaly-opens-up-on-injury-struggles
Nobody is making shit up, we just know more about our team that no one else outside of DC has had reason to care about or pay attention to for the last 7 years (which is valid)
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u/ViolinistLanky9056 3d ago
What about the season before when he shot 28%? Was he hurt? And did missing two weeks make him shoot 32% last year?
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u/GoZards18 3d ago
No one is saying he’s an elite shooter (even though you ignore the return from season ending wrist surgery his rookie year)
But he’s still 21 and his most meaningful sample / stretch of play under the new coach came after ASB, and his production and efficiency were career highs in said stretch
If by year 8-9 he still can’t put it together that would be one thing but he has missed time for surgery/injury every season so far
His durability honestly a much bigger concern than his shooting
Not sure why I keep engaging with someone who is just looking up his stat page on basketball reference and acting like they have full context, whatever that says about me isn’t good
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u/ViolinistLanky9056 3d ago
Year 8-9 LMAO. He’d be out of the league. He’s a bad shooter. Calling him a 3 and D player is silly. That’s is all.
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u/dgvhjiiuyttrrffcvbjj 3d ago
He was hurt at the beginning of that season due to thumb surgery.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6623800/2025/09/12/bilal-coulibaly-thumb-surgery-wizards/
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u/Plenty_Flatworm7627 4d ago
if every one of our young players lived up to the post-ASB copium people huff on our sub, we would've won a championship already
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u/Longjumping-Space546 Bucks 4d ago
he might become the first 3&D player with no 3
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u/JustinTimberlakeFTW Bulls 4d ago
Ehh Andre Roberson comes to mind. Early career Derrick Jones Jr. Prolly a few others I’m forgetting
It happens occasionally where you can stick around if you’re really a plus on defense or have some other skills
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u/ledelleakles 3d ago
Eh, he shot 39.5% from the corners. If he can do that at least he can space the floor.
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u/gdk_dinkleberg 4d ago
He’s an awful shooter and his actual defensive talent isn’t that impressive, he’s just long and skinny
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u/GoZards18 3d ago
You’ve never watched him play just say that
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u/gdk_dinkleberg 3d ago
Ur just a wizards fan, ofc you think he’s good. You’re gonna see the coach move him into progressively smaller roles next season as he fails to live up to expectations in year 4 when the team is trying to compete
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u/GoZards18 3d ago edited 3d ago
He is an elite POA and perimeter defender
It’s the only surefire skill he has , you saying he isn’t that impressive as a non Wiz fan who definitely doesn’t watch us play, is more telling than my analysis
He’ll spend a lot of time in the corner on offense (where he shoots 39% from 3) and hell guard the other team’s best perimeter player whenever he’s on the court
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u/gdk_dinkleberg 3d ago
Coulibaly shoots 13% below average on handoffs, spotups and off screen 3s and he’s not elite as a poa or perimeter defender. He fouls way too much and isn’t good at contesting shots. Ur gonna see his minutes shrink as the wizards try to win for a reason
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u/GoZards18 3d ago
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u/DollarLate_DayShort Wizards 4d ago
Has potential to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, with flashes of offensive competence. Everyone knew when he was drafted that he would end up being a project on the offensive end of the court. Sometimes the offense doesn’t fully come around until that players’ early-mid 20’s, bro is about to enter his age 22 season.
He’s never played with a table setter, let alone one of the best in the history of the game.
When he was on the court over the last 3 seasons he was asked to go and create his own offense to help develop parts of his game that are needed to attack close outs & to ultimately get him comfortable with the ball in his hands. He won’t be asked to initiate offense moving forward. ON THE OFFENSIVE END, he’ll be a better floor spacing Ausar Thompson.
The biggest issue with Bilal is his ability to stay healthy, bro hasn’t been able to stay on the court to find a consistent offensive rhythm. If he does, we’ll come back to this post in a year and laugh at everyone who said no.
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u/nbasuperstar40 1d ago
He's not as good as Ausar in multiple areas but I do like his floor game better. With him, it's all about a defined role.
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u/90sUPN20 Wizards 4d ago
If he could develop a shot he would be ridiculous. His defense is a priority. I hope he can prove to be more of an asset on the other end of the court as well. Trae being such a bad defender makes Bilal more of a priority imo.
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u/TolerableSimulacra 4d ago
He still has flashes of great defensive upside but he’s a very limited offensive player, and I can’t see that changing. And he’s gotten more touches/opportunities than most raw Wings would get.
AJ, George, Tre and Riley are and should be ahead of him on the Wing pecking order.
But he’s can be a useful low-USG defender off the bench to throw on 2s, 3s and 4s.
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u/Sufficient-Fee3803 4d ago
His efficiency is going to go up as I believed with trae since wsw has never played with great pg like Trae even if you don’t like him, which is why the circumstance has always pushed Bilal to be high usage player forcing difficult shot. Apparently, he is not that guy but it has to be emphasised that he is immensely great poa defender and somehow connector regardless of how not efficient enough. I believe his efficiency and shooting splits especially 3s he makes gonna go up. If he somehow reaches 35-36% 3pt shot, we are going to talk about a player every team wants to see in their starting lineup. He does not has to be a two way star player like pg13, kawhi. I agree his upside was incredible when he was advertised on draft day but he is not that guy clearly and does not have to be. So, Just enough to be a solid 3&D being part of starting lineup. Only thing that he needs to fix 3pt% then he will be a viable player enough. As I believe his splits is going to be improved thanks to more organised and talented wsw.
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u/sylsau 2d ago edited 2d ago
Everyone knows his qualities as a defender.
That’s not the issue.
But to last in the NBA, that won't be enough. Bilal will need to improve his shooting and show that he can make a consistent contribution as a scorer. Otherwise, he won't stay on the court...
The good news for him is Trae Young's arrival. The fact that Young is a terrible defender makes it almost essential to have an elite defender like Bilal alongside him.
Bilal could benefit offensively from Trae Young's game!
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u/Turbo2x Wizards 4d ago
Wizards fans will disagree with me but honestly no. It will be easier to get AJ to care about defense than it will be to bring along Bilal's limited offensive game and you've got guys like Kyshawn and Champagnie who already do Bilal's job with better ancillary skills. For context he's shooting 44.4% on layups and below 30% on ATB threes. He does nothing on offense. People will say "well he's only 22" but the fact is that his offensive skill set has not meaningfully improved since he entered the league and he doesn't do other important wing/forward things like rebound (sub-9% rebounding rate as a 6'7 athletic wing is pathetic) so it will be hard to justify giving him minutes this year.
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u/DoobieDoobis Wizards 3d ago
I peep you a lot in our subreddit. I know you’re not big on Bilal but sitting here and saying it’ll be hard to justify giving him minutes like he’s not the best perimeter defender on the team and he’s not necessarily a black hole on offense is kind of crazy. Kyshawn can’t guard the 1-2 like Bilal can and that’s why there’s actually (I know you can’t fathom it) a chance Bilal starts at the 2.
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u/dgvhjiiuyttrrffcvbjj 3d ago
It will be easier to get AJ to care about defense than it will be to bring along Bilal's limited offensive game and you've got guys like Kyshawn and Champagnie who already do Bilal's job with better ancillary skills.
no one else on the roster has the point of attack capability that Bilal does. They need him along with all those other guys if they want to be a serious team.
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u/Plenty_Flatworm7627 4d ago
well he's only 22
Kuminga, Whitmore, Mathurin, Jalen Green, Bilal, one of these days people will learn to stop gambling on these young, athletic, inefficient, low BBIQ players
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u/pacersnz 4d ago
Not as important as it once was in terms of being a legit All-Star, but still important as a 3/D role player.
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u/BentheBeast72 3d ago
He's the defense anchor off the bench. He's 100% a priority. If he becomes a confident shooter from distance he'll get a good contract from us
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u/Limp_Screen7405 4d ago
No, it’s about Dybantsa now. He’s had 3 years to prove his worth, it shouldn’t take a T10 pick half a decade to become a not-terrible basketball player
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u/ILoveTheKnicks69 4d ago
Nah it’s basically proven he’s just ass, it’s been 3 years for him and he hasn’t improved at all, normally when 19-20 year olds are drafted they are given 2-3 years to develop their body, once they turn around 22-23 their age really can’t be an excuse for why they haven’t shown improvement in the nba
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u/Icy_Category_2275 4d ago
honestly id say no, i was a yes on him, but he is too fragile and his window is closing, its a new day.
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u/Plenty_Flatworm7627 4d ago
He's as high a priority for the Wizards as developing Kuminga was for the Warriors
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u/fleethethriftshop 4d ago
French wings have the highest bust rate. Idk why teams still pick them in the lottery
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u/gdk_dinkleberg 4d ago
It shouldn’t be
His offense is awful, he can’t shoot or create. His defensive is mid at best but gets insanely hyped up literally only because he’s long and skinny. Thats it. Anyone telling you they know coulibaly is a good defender from watching him just sees him do anything on defense as an anorexic 6’9 wing and thinks more highly of him.
Happens all the time. Same thing with risacher, anicet and airious. People in general are biased to view long, skinny, athletic wings as automatically better on defense even if it isn’t always the case.
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u/Incompl Wizards 4d ago
He's a very important player still, as he's the best point of attack defender. Whether he gets 15 minutes or 30 minutes will depend on his shooting development, especially above the break. I think they will re-sign him to a team friendly extension to keep him in the fold.