When the Washington Wizards selected Bilal Coulibaly in the 2023 NBA Draft, they knew he had the chance to be someone special.
As a young guard from France, Coulibaly didn’t have much attention on him until the year before his move to the NBA. Playing with Metropolitans 92 alongside eventual No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama wooed scouts over to him, and his meteoric rise during the pre-draft process ended with him becoming the No. 7 overall pick.
Coulibaly has continued to grow in the NBA, and Bleacher Report writer Mo Dakhil believes he could be in the All-Star Game sometime in the next three years.
“This is only Coulibaly’s second year, and he has a ways to go in his development. He has improved as a playmaker, averaging 3.6 assists on 17 percent usage. Coulibaly’s assist percentage has shot up from 8.6 percent as a rookie to 15.5 percent,” Dakhil writes.
“At just 20 years old, Coulibaly is just scratching the surface of what he can do and is still learning the game. The talent is there, and he’ll have to improve as a scoring threat, but Coulibaly can be an All-Star by 2028.”
Coulibaly came into the league with a strong defensive game, but the Wizards always envisioned him as a creator on offense as well. Last season, he didn’t get as many touches as he was dipping his toes in the league, but now he is ankle-deep and a change has been made.
With his ankles now in the water, there is reason to believe he could jump right in over the next three years and rise towards the cream of the crop as part of the next young wave of talent in the league.
Coulibaly and the Wizards are back in action tomorrow night against the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. ET.