By Guillaume K. | Sports journalist
After a promising first season in the NBA and the Olympic Games with the French team, Bilal Coulibaly will have to confirm the great promises shown. According to his teammate Marvin Bagley, this is already the case in training!
For this second year in the Jordan Poole era, Wizards fans have the right to expect progress. Already because the leader must catch up after a complicated first season in the franchise, but also because his lieutenant Kyle Kuzma, almost 30 years old, must reach a certain level of maturity on the field and in leadership.
Another reason for hope, the arrival of Alexandre Sarr during the 2024 Draft, who will have an important role to play from the first matches. A versatile defender capable of going out wide and protecting his circle, he will be an invaluable reinforcement in this area which was a huge weak point just a few months ago. And he will also be helped by his compatriot Bilal Coulibaly.
Bilal Coulibaly impresses with his progress
Nice surprise last season, the Olympic vice-champion will certainly have more responsibilities for his second exercise at the highest level. But is he ready to take on these expectations? Will he have the character to assert himself and play for himself? According to Marvin Bagley’s testimony, the answer is obvious in training.
For me, personally, the level displayed by Bilal Coulibaly is night and day compared to my arrival last season. From my trade in January to now, his confidence level is much higher. I find him much more confident in what he does on the pitch. He is much more aggressive. In fact, he just plays basketball.
He plays with a certain freedom, and that’s something we all like to see. It’s his second season, and I don’t know what he worked on during the summer, but we’re already seeing the results. It’s a good thing for us teammates to see, because we’re going to play with it. Honestly, I see real progress.
According to this testimony from Marvin Bagley, Bilal Coulibaly’s Olympic summer was beneficial to the young Frenchman. By working alongside the best players in the country, including some NBA veterans, the guard has obviously learned a lot, gained confidence in his abilities, and he shows it on the court. Let’s hope he shines in a team that shouldn’t play much in the East.
The Wizards’ season might not be glorious on a collective level, but this slump could allow the emergence of Bilal Coulibaly. In training in any case, he displays a confidence which impresses his partners.
