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Bilal Coulibaly Rumors
The Wizards have their D-Day tomorrow with the draft lottery. Have you watched Cooper Flagg play? Bilal Coulibaly: Yeah, I’ve watched a lot of him. I’ve watched a lot of his games. He’s a good player. He doesn’t make any really big mistakes. He’s playing good basketball when he has to, he’s not forcing it. He can score, pass the ball, rebound, do anything on the court.
What are your plans for the next couple of months with regard to preparing for next season? Bilal Coulibaly: I’m working on my game a lot. I’ll focus on my handle and my three-point shooting so I can come back and feel way smoother and more comfortable on the court. I’ll be in DC, I’ll be probably in Dallas for a little bit too because my agency is based there, so I’ll be working out with them. I’ll be in France too so anywhere I go I’ll be working on my game.
And the most difficult player to guard? Bilal Coulibaly: De’Aaron Fox just because he’s really, really fast, man.
Josh Robbins: The Wizards' injury report for the final game of their season: Saddiq Bey, Malcolm Brogdon, Bilal Coulibaly, Anthony Gill, Richaun Holmes, Corey Kispert, Khris Middleton and Jordan Poole are all OUT. JT Thor is QUESTIONABLE to play because of right knee soreness.
Austin Krell: All of Malcolm Brogdon, Bilal Coulibaly, Anthony Gill, Corey Kispert, Khris Middleton, and Jordan Poole will be OUT for the Wizards tonight. Marcus Smart will be available. Richuan Holmes is doubtful.
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Bobby Manning: #Wizards tomorrow: Middleton, Coulibaly, Kispert, George and Brogdon all out. Marcus Smart is active, so he’ll face the #Celtics for a 2nd time since the trade. Won with Memphis in December.
Josh Robbins: The Wizards have listed Jordan Poole as out for tonight's game because of, per the team, a right elbow contusion/injury management. Also out: Khris Middleton, Saddiq Bey, Malcolm Brogdon, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Corey Kispert. Richaun Holmes is doubtful to play (right
This season, Coulibaly has more than doubled his touch-time average (3.25 seconds per game) from his rookie campaign. That has led to an increase in opportunities as a scorer and playmaker. Through 56 games, Coulibaly is producing 12.4 points and 3.5 assists a night. Further, he has upped his potential assist per-game average to 6.6 from 3.1 in his first year. “Work a lot and just confidence [have led to that growth],” Coulibaly said echoing Relph’s words. “Confidence from my teammates, confidence from myself, coaches giving me the ball. I know I can create, so it's just me and my aggressiveness.”
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We also have to remember that Coulibaly is also being asked to guard the opponent’s top weapon on 45% of Washington’s defensive possessions — a challenge he relishes. "I mean, I love it,” Coulibaly told RG. “That's all I ask for. I'm a competitor, so playing defense against the best guys is all I need, man. It just gets me going in games too offensively, so that's how I get locked in."
Smart is a rugged, fiery personality who leaves everything out on the floor and was a former Defensive Player of the Year. He brings that grit and provides advice as well. “I was struggling a little bit on the off-ball screens and he's been talking to me, giving me tips — how to get to the body, how to be physical without fouling,” Coulibaly said. “He's been teaching me a lot. I mean, just putting pressure on the guys without fouling. I was fouling too much, putting both hands on the players, and he gave me a couple tips, so I'm way better now.”
Luckily for Coulibaly, he’s had Tyler Relph to challenge him to do so. A former Mr. New York Basketball winner, West Virginia recruit and St. Bonaventure standout, Relph turned his attention to molding current and future pros after his career was over. Since 2009, he’s worked with over 10,000 players at all levels, including household-name NBA and WNBA clientele. He instructs at private sessions and also has his own gym at the Tyler Relph Basketball Lab in Addison, Texas, which opened in Oct. 2020. Relph’s methods are careful and detailed — and equally as intense. Since Coulibaly is just 20 years old, he doesn’t hold back.
Washington, by far, leads the NBA in rookie minutes played (4,446) and employed its youngest starting five since 1970 on Oct. 30, 2024. Though they’re not a winning team by any stretch of the imagination, the franchise is fostering an environment where maturation can happen organically. “I think for any player, development is a process of are you in a position where you can learn from your mistakes and make mistakes,” Relph said. “You can't be afraid to make mistakes, especially if you're in a developmental process. He's still young. He's still in that developmental stage. He's not a 30-year-old vet where it's like, 'Hey man, you can't make these mistakes. If you make any of these mistakes, we've got to take you out.' “So I think it's very beneficial for him where he's at. I think Washington's done a great job as far as his development and understanding him as a player. Their organization deserves a lot of credit for what they're doing.”
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