Can Bilal Coulibaly play as a shooting guard for the Washington Wizards?
By Jay Hanson
One of the great things about Bilal Coulibaly is his defense. During Summer League, Bilal was quick, fast, and blocked shots. But his offense needs a lot of work, which should sound familiar to many Wizards fans. Did the Wizards just draft another Deni Avdija? I believe the answer to that is no. Some similarities for sure, but Bilal has the capability to play the 2, unlike Deni.
Deni and Bilal both play the small forward position. However, Deni might actually be better as a power forward than a small forward. One big difference is speed; Deni is just not as fast up and down the court as Bilal. Avdija, in international play, has demonstrated an ability to operate as a point forward; he can bring the ball up and has excellent vision. The Wizards have deployed him in that role sparingly in the NBA, to mixed results. Turbo Deni was great…until he wasn’t.
One of the first things I noticed about Bilal in Summer League play is that he moves like a guard. This makes sense when you consider that he grew over 8 inches in less than two years.
Bilal played small forward in Europe and I would expect him to play small forward off the bench in his first year in DC. But what if he could play the 2-guard?
Coulibaly as a SG would give the Wiz solid defensive lineups
One thing the Wizards need with Poole and Kuz in the starting lineup is perimeter defense. I have no concern about Gafford being a goalie in basketball for the Wizards. But making sure Gafford doesn’t get over-taxed by slashing guards requires some strong perimeter play.
Right now, Delon Wright is Washington’s best perimeter defender. But if Bilal can play the 2, the Wizards could have a starting lineup of Poole, Bilal, Deni, Kuz, and Gafford. The drive and kick game would be atrocious since there won’t be enough shooting. On the flip side, it would be really difficult to score against that starting five. That group would have length and speed, similar to some old Golden State teams, but again, without the shooting.
If Bilal could come off the bench as a shooting guard, the Wizards could play Tyus Jones, Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Danilo Gallinari, and Mike Muscala. The only issue with this lineup is the frontcourt. The Wizards would be better suited with a center that can block shots and grab rebounds. How much Gallinari has left in the tank as a 35-year-old coming off an ACL injury is a big question mark. It’s literally the difference between possibly getting something in a trade or just waiving him and signaling the possible end of his NBA career.
Coulibaly’s defensive versatility is intriguing
The lack of front-court defense may force the coaching staff to play Bilal at the four off the bench if they don’t elect to play Deni off the bench. The bench rotation could look like Jones, Wright, Kispert, and Bilal, with Muscala or Gallinari at the five.
The most impressive thing about Bilal is his defensive versatility. He should be switchable on anything other than a bulky 5 or a speedy point guard.
But once again, the answer to all the Wizards’ problems is for their young defensive talent to learn how to shoot. This problem has persisted for so long, it’s possible to concede that the Wizards’ coaching staff just doesn’t have the development capability. The big exception is Kispert, who has gotten better under this coaching staff. And if Kispert can do it, so can Deni and Bilal.
Or so we hope. Because if that starting five of Poole, Bilal, Deni, Kuz, and Gafford had efficient shooting from Bilal and Deni, that would be a dangerous starting five.
