4 things Wizards fans want to see from Bilal Coulibaly as a rookie

Improved shooting stroke

Bilal Coulibaly is not going to be a knockdown shooter overnight. Between him growing into his body, adapting to the NBA three-point line distance, and everything else he needs to work on, shooting will take time. No one should expect him to be an average shooter in his rookie year.

What the Wizards fans would like to see, however, is an improvement, especially in free throws and catch-and-shoot jumpers.

Last season, between the French League regular season and playoffs, Coulibaly hit 39 of 64 free throws, a mark around 61%. Obviously, this is a small sample, but a perimeter player needs to be at least over 70%, ideally higher. His three-point shooting was better, as he hit 36.5% on 52 attempts. However, his Summer League accuracy from three showed that there was more work to be done with his shooting as he only hit 2 of his 11 three-pointers. The fact that some of his misses in Las Vegas were not close suggests that his shooting stroke needs to get more consistent.

This can easily be achieved. Considering that Coulibaly was a late bloomer as he grew from 5’10 to 6’7 in the last two years, he needs time to perfect his shooting mechanics. How quickly he rose in the prospect rankings after not even being on the roster for his professional team in France at the beginning of the 2022-23 season suggests he will figure it out fast.

Until he does, we will be watching for minor but gradual improvements in his shot.