Washington Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. expressed his thoughts on the defensive capabilities of rookie Bilal Coulibaly, highlighting the young player’s potential to make an impact on that end of the court.
“I think he can be impactful defensively,” he said, per Cody Taylor of The Rookie Wire. He showed it at times with his length and anticipation. He’ll get a better feel once we dial deeper into personnel and get deeper into the season. I think that is where he is going to hang his hat.”
Coulibaly, hailing from Metropolitans 92 in the French under-21 league (LNB Espoirs), began his professional career in 2021.
His standout performances in the LNB Espoirs competition, where he averaged 41.9 points, 2.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, earned him recognition in the 2023 NBA draft.
In the 2023 NBA draft, the Indiana Pacers selected Coulibaly as the seventh overall pick and subsequently traded his rights to the Wizards in exchange for two future second-round picks and the draft rights to Jarace Walker.
