Bilal Couliably entered the season with high hopes and growing expectations from a fanbase who's patiently waited for a player to step up and prove to be the team's future.
Looking at the Washington Wizards history with NBA Draft prospects, any minor inconvenience sends a scare through a fanbase, who's constantly been dealt a bad hand of luck over the last few years.
For Coulibaly, a thumb-injury suffered this offseason delayed his start to his third-year with the Washington Wizards, which was alone enough to cause concern about his development moving forward.
However, after returning to the court after missing the first four games of the season, Coulibaly's immediate impact took the worry from Wizards fans away quickly.
The French product looked ready to showcase he was prepared for yet another leap in year three, which alone was great news considering the early flashes of promise from Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George.
Unfortunately, that promise was quickly outweighed by the fact that the oversized guard suffered yet another injury hindering his development after returning to play.
Following a recent calf injury, the concern surrounding Coulibaly's development returned, especially after the news that the team has no timetable for his return.
For a raw prospect like Coulibaly, time on the court against live competition will prove to be the most impactful for his development.
With yet another injury taking him out of action for potentially awhile, the news serves as the second worst possible scenario, with a season-ending injury claiming the worst-possible update.
Regardless, the recent injury setbacks are increasing the one fear that both the office and the fanbase didn't want to face when Coulibaly was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
That fear? Injuries would refrain Coulibaly's development and put him in position where he's never able to meet his potential.
Looking at talented players who's career has been altered by a wave of injuries such as Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and even the likes of players like Ben Simmons, Coulibaly's inability to stay on the court may be the lone reason he's never able to prove why the Wizards selected him with such a high draft pick.
The talent is there, but potential won't be enough to convince Washington to keep him on the roster for the long haul, especially considering the team's already proven to have limited patience after trading away one of the best young stars in the league today in Deni Avdija.