Bilal Coulibaly entered the season with a lot to prove as a third-year man who's struggled to stay on the court long enough to prove why the Washington Wizards took a swing on his potential in the 2024 NBA Draft.
As a former No. 7 overall pick, expectations were high for the French product entering the league, and as they should be considering the stock Washington invested in him when they opted to select him top 10.
Betting on potential is always risky business, but when that bet doesn't pan out, all fingers point to the front office and the decision makers who elected to take that swing, rather than the player, who's expected to put the work in.
For Coulibaly, he's had a rough go throughout the first few seasons in the DMV.
With a hamstring injury cutting his sophomore campaign short, to then suffering a thumb injury during the previous offseason that put him behind schedule entering year three, the oversized guard has seemingly had the odds against him.
Nonetheless, as a player with elite two-way potential, it's clear why the Wizards still have high hopes for the type of prospect Coulibaly can develop into.
Looking at his skillset, size and defensive instincts, there's no reason why Washington shouldn't be invested in helping the oversized guard make offensive strides that can allow him to take that step.
However, up to this point in his career, Coulibaly's reluctancy to be aggressive on the offensive end has restricted him from taking those steps necessary to be that two-way player Washington hoped he could become.
Considering his inefficient shooting splits, it doesn't come as a total surprise to see the guard's lack of confidence to fire away offensively.
Fortunately for Washington, the playmaker has slowly but surely began to show improvements in the area that has drawn the most concern over the course of his career.
Shooting 35% from three, Coulibaly has began to improve his efficiency from deep and although that isn't the most efficient average from beyond the arc, the improvement alone could lead to an increase in confidence for the guard to begin shooting with confidence, which alone is huge considering some nights he looks content without firing from deep at all.
The talent is there and while this improvement may not be a major development, it's improvement to say the least.
All that to say, Coulibaly is showing some signs of encouragement as his third year continues.