Bilal Coulibaly will make an All-Rookie team
The Washington Wizards’ no. 7 overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft, Bilal Coulibaly wants to win the Rookie of the Year award. This is a tall order for anyone who will be in the same rookie class as Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, and Chet Holmgren. It is especially challenging for a 19-year-old defense-first prospect like Coulibaly.
What should be more possible, however, is making one of two All-Rookie teams. Being one of the ten best rookies in the league is an achievable goal for Coulibaly, especially after his impressive Summer League performance in Las Vegas.
The 6’6 Frenchman should immediately make a difference defensively with his athletic and physical tools. He will make plenty of highlight reels with his chase-down and weakside blocks. He is likely not going to score a lot of points or record many assists, but his defense will certainly bring plenty of attention to him.
Coulibaly will likely not start to begin the season. But he will have a rotation role immediately. His minutes should go up consistently throughout the season. There is a decent possibility that he might become a starter mid-season. This expanded role will give him more of an opportunity to showcase his athleticism and playmaking.
In turn, he will likely make a late-season push to make an All-Rookie team. Depending on how the rest of the rookie class performs, he should make one of the All-Rookie teams. The first team may be a stretch but Coulibaly’s meteoric rise from playing in Metropolitans 92’s youth team less than a year ago to being a lottery pick in the NBA suggests nothing is impossible for this young man.