Wiz of Awes
Fansided

4 hot takes about the Washington Wizards’ 2023-24 season

By Cem Yolbulan

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: Johnny Davis #1 of the Washington Wizards puts up a shot against Zeke Nnaji #22 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: Johnny Davis #1 of the Washington Wizards puts up a shot against Zeke Nnaji #22 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Bilal Coulibaly will start more than half of the games

At the beginning of the season, the starting small forward will almost certainly be Deni Avdija or Corey Kispert. Both players have established themselves as capable rotation players.

The other four players in the starting lineup will likely be Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma, and Daniel Gafford. So, how will Bilal Coulibaly find a spot to start?

Thanks to Coulibaly’s positional versatility, he can slide in for any starter except for Gafford. If any of the other starters were to miss any time, Coulibaly can replace them in the lineup. If Jones is out for a game, Poole can start as the point guard, while Coulibaly is the spot starter as a shooting guard. Same with Kuzma or Kispert missing games.

This will probably be more of the case in the second half of the season. In the first few months of the season, the Wizards will likely try to win as many games as possible to see how good they actually are. This means playing more of their more experienced veterans. This way, they could also increase the trade value of these players.

At the trade deadline, the Wizards might part ways with some of their expiring contracts or older players. This could include Tyus Jones, Landry Shamet, Danilo Gallinari, Delon Wright, or even Kyle Kuzma. This will open up more playing time and starting opportunities for Bilal Coulibaly.

Moreover, similar to last season, pulling the plug on the season in the final month or so seems probable. In this scenario, Coulibaly will likely be a regular starter as the Wizards will want to give him plenty of studio space to explore what he is capable of with the ball.

Home/Wizards News