Wizards rookie Bilal Coulibaly set for major Summer League role

Washington Wizards rookie wing Bilal Coulibaly was one of the fastest risers during the 2023 NBA Draft. Parlaying the attention that was initially reserved for Metropolitans 92 teammate Victor Wembanyama into a spot in the lottery, the Wizards wound up selecting the 18-year-old with the No. 7 pick.

Now, Wizards fans will get their first taste of their top pick in the Las Vegas Summer League (Jul. 7 -17).

Wizards Summer League head coach Landon Tatum spoke to reporters about what to expect from Coulibaly, saying, “As best we can, we’re going to try to put Bilal in a lot of different situations” (per NBC Sports Washington’s Chase Hughes). “Since he’s been here, he’s been great on the floor. He asks questions and does everything you [want]. You can see why he was drafted. He’s got great length and a lot of versatility on offense to handle the ball and come off [dribble hand-offs]…”

Coulibaly, echoing the message of Tatum, says “I’m going to play more with the ball, create some actions and play-making.”

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“I’m just looking forward to playing with the ball more,” Coulibaly he concedes.

Coulibaly averaged 10.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 24.0 minutes per game (on 52.7 percent shooting from the field and 33.6 percent shooting from 3) for Metropolitans 92 in 2022-23. His Summer League numbers may look closer to the 16 games he played in the LNB Espoirs League last season.

In that stretch, he demonstrated his all-around talent with 21.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.2 blocks in 32.1 minutes per game, shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from 3.

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