Wiz of Awes
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4 most interesting Washington Wizards storylines for the 2023-24 season

By Cem Yolbulan

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 01: Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. talks to his players during a timeout in the game against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena on January 01, 2022 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 G Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 01: Head coach Wes Unseld Jr. talks to his players during a timeout in the game against the Chicago Bulls at Capital One Arena on January 01, 2022 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 G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Is Bilal Coulibaly a franchise cornerstone?

The storyline the Washington Wizards fans should be most interested in all season is Bilal Coulibaly and how good the rookie looks in his first season.

The 19-year-old Frenchman is the highest draft pick for the Wizards in a decade and is a different type of rookie the Wizards have been accustomed to drafting. He is young, raw, and athletic with an endless upside. He is one of the most exciting young players Washington had in a long time.

Yet, he is still a relative unknown. The sample size for him playing at a high level is very small as he only played half a season with the pros in his team Metropolitans 92 in France. He has shown elite athleticism, defensive chops, and intriguing playmaking ability, but how well each of these will translate to the NBA is a question mark.

Therefore, the expectations from Coulibaly’s rookie season should be tempered. He is likely not going to dominate as a 19-year-old. That almost never happens. However, the Wizards fans should be looking for signs that he is a real building block for the future. They will want to see signs of a future star that the franchise can build around. This includes flashes of athleticism, defensive playmaking, and improvement in shooting, passing, and playmaking.

If Coulibaly starts looking like a future All-Star type of player, this changes the future of the Wizards. It makes the rebuilding process that much easier and less painful. Everything is much easier once you have the star to build around. It’s very early to tell whether Coulibaly can be that guy, but we’ll have a better idea after his rookie season.

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