Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Solid showing despite loss
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Coulibaly logged 14 points (6-10 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three assists, three steals and a rebound through 28 minutes in Wednesday's 131-126 loss to the 76ers.
Coulibaly has consistently seen heavy minutes this season, especially as of recently. Since missing the Milwaukee game Nov. 24 due to a knee injury, the rookie forward has averaged 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.4 blocks over 29.0 minutes. He and Corey Kispert lead the charge amongst the second unit for the Wizards, and as he develops through his first season, expect Coulibaly's role to potentially increase moving forward.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Absent from injury report
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Coulibaly (knee) is not listed on the Wizards' injury report ahead of Saturday's matchup with the Hawks, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
Coulibaly was a late addition to the injury report Friday before being ruled out of the team's eventual loss to the Bucks. It looks like the Wizards were just erring on the side of caution with the rookie on the front end of a back-to-back set. Barring any setbacks, look for him to see a similar workload to the 26.6 minutes he has averaged over the previous nine games.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Late addition to injury report
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Coulibaly is questionable for Friday's game against the Bucks due to a left knee contusion.
Coulibaly wasn't listed on the Wizards' initial injury report, but he's now in danger of missing his first game of the season. The rookie has played well of late, posting 10.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.6 minutes over his last nine appearances. His potential absence would open up extra playing time for Landry Shamet, Johnny Davis, Corey Kispert and Danilo Gallinari.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Officially out
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Coulibaly (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's In-Season Tournament matchup with the Bucks, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post reports.
Coulibaly was a late addition to the Wizards' injury report due to a left knee bruise. The rookie has been productive recently, posting 10.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.6 minutes over his last nine appearances. In his absence, Landry Shamet, Johnny Davis, Corey Kispert and Danilo Gallinari are all candidates to take on some of his minutes.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Cools off against Knicks
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Coulibaly notched six points (2-7 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), three rebounds, four assists and one block in 31 minutes during Friday's 120-99 loss to the Knicks.
Coulibaly cooled off against the Knicks, but despite the dud, it's notable that he still played 31 minutes on the night. He's played at least 28 minutes in four straight contests, averaging 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.8 three-pointers in that span. It's clear that he's earning the trust of the coaching staff.
Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Impressive off bench in loss
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Coulibaly amassed 20 points (8-12 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 0-1 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and four steals in 34 minutes during Sunday's 102-94 loss to the Nets.
Coulibaly had scored in double digits in just two of his previous eight appearances, including nine points in his first start back on Oct. 30, but he destroyed those numbers and recorded his best outing of the season here. Coulibaly is still raw to log heavy minutes on a regular basis, but he seems to be improving and is a player worth watching as the season progresses, particularly in dynasty and keeper formats.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Scores career-high 10
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Coulibaly posted 10 points (3-7 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds and one block across 19 minutes during Monday's 146-128 loss to the 76ers.
Coulibaly hit double-digit scoring for the first time in his young career, despite logging his second-fewest minutes of the season. His game is raw, but Coulibaly is an intense defender, though it hasn't shown up in the box score yet. The rookie's 7-foot-2 wingspan should help him be a source of defensive production eventually, but he may need a bigger role for that notion to materialize.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Heads back to bench
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Coulibaly isn't in the starting five for Wednesday's game versus the Hawks.
Mike Muscala will replace Coulibaly in the starting lineup Wednesday, with Daniel Gafford (ankle) still out. Coulibaly has flashed his defensive potential already this season and should be one of Washington's first options off the bench at the forward position.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Gets starts sans Gafford
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Coulibaly will start Monday's game against the Celtics.
With Daniel Gafford (hip) sidelined, the Wizards are opting for a small lineup with Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma surrounding Coulibaly, who'll be making his first regular-season start in the NBA. Across his first two games, the rookie has averaged 1.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.0 blocks in 18.5 minutes, but he figures to see an uptick in playing time and production versus Boston.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Three points in pro debut
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Coulibaly had three points (1-3 FG, 1-1 3Pt), four rebounds, three assists and three blocks over 23 minutes in Wednesday's 143-120 loss to the Pacers.
Coulibaly, the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, didn't get into the scoring mix Wednesday but did lead the team in blocks. He also had three turnovers, the second-most on the team behind Jordan Poole, but that's to be expected for a rookie. He'll continue to get meaningful minutes off the bench and will look to build off his NBA debut Saturday when the Wizards host the Grizzlies.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Won't start in opener
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Coulibaly isn't in the starting lineup for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Pacers, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
Coulibaly will be replaced by Kyle Kuzma, who missed the team's final two preseason outings with a calf contusion, in the starting five Wednesday. The rookie forward will likely be one of Washington's first options off the bench.
Coulibaly is in the starting lineup for Tuesday's exhibition game against the Cairns Taipans of Australia's National Basketball League.
Coulibaly was drafted No. 7 overall by the Wizards in the 2023 NBA Draft and will receive his first start for the team Tuesday. The rookie forward will likely compete with Corey Kispert for the starting role this season.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Cleared for practice
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Coulibaly is healthy ahead of Washington's first training camp practice Tuesday, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Coulibaly missed a Summer League contest in July for an undisclosed reason, but as expected, he appears to be fully available for preseason action. While he's considered raw on the offensive end, Coulibaly's defense could earn him minutes right away with the rebuilding Wizards.
