Before a season-ending hamstring injury earlier last month, Bilal Coulibaly was on the rise with the rebuilding Washington Wizards.
He still is, but now he’ll have to wait until next season. At just 20 years old, though, there’s time to build on what he’s already started.
He showed growth offensively this season and was already pretty good defensively. But ask Coulibaly and there’s plenty of room for improvement.
“Physically, it’s just like getting ready, practicing more than you even play in the game,” Coulibaly told Spencer Davies of RG in an exclusive interview in March. “Mentally, talking to the coach (Brian Keefe), he’d be telling me before games that I’m about to play a lot, so I’m ready. I’d say during the summer, it was a lot of the conditioning. During the season, too. Even when we’re playing 5-on-5, just giving everything and doing everything to get more in shape, I’d say.”
The Wizards are headed back to the NBA Draft lottery after another season of development. Along with Coulibaly, the young talent includes the likes of No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George and others.
Nonetheless, Washington is a ways away from hitting 50 wins for the first time since 1979 — the franchise’s last Finals appearance.
Coulibaly, of course, is among the reasons the Wizards have hope of a turnaround. Next season, they assume, he will be even better.
“I know they believe in me,” Coulibaly told Davies. “They are telling me that every single day, so it feels really good. For me and just my confidence, having guys that believe in me makes me believe in myself too.”
Coulibaly, 21, averaged 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists, shooting 42 percent from the field in 59 games this season.
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