The Washington Wizards season has been filled with plenty of highs and lows, but undenibaly the lows have far outweighed the highs.
Washington's most recent low point came when news that second-year guard Bilal Coulibaly was ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a hamstring strain.
Although the Wizards weren't in position to play for much other than a high pick in the NBA Draft this coming offseason, the team was still prioritizing the development of their young players down the stretch of the season. Following the injury news of their former lottery pick, the team's sophomore guard will be missing vital time on the floor to end the season.
Coulibaly played in 59 games this season, but perhaps the most important stretch of this season may be right now for not just him, but all the young players on the roster.
Getting the opportunity to learn from savvy veterans like Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart as the season unfolds has seemed to be many of the young players biggest focus as of late.
Coulibaly seemed to be one of the driving forces behind the team's core making it a point of emphasis to learn from the Wizards newest additions, but now with his season coming to an end, his opportunity to learn from the players on the court will come to an end.
And considering that neither of these players are guaranteed to stay put in Washington beyond this offseason, it could be a lost opportunity for Coulibaly.
However, Coulibaly isn't the only one dealing with the loss right now throughout his injury, as his team begins to miss him on the floor.
Wizards feeling Coulibaly's absence on the floor
The Wizards entered Monday's matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers shorthanded. As a result, the team was forced to start one of the rawest players in the league in AJ Johnson. The 20-year-old's play wasn't the reason Washington dealt with a 112-97 loss, but more-so the absence of Coulibaly was can be looked at as a key reason.
Throughout this season, Coulibaly has proven to be a tenacious defender and his versatility to defend multiple positions, including the opposing team's best player made him valuable for the Wizards. On Monday, the Trail Blazers starting backcourt combined for 46 points outscoring Washington's backcourt by 29 points.
Undersized and undermanned was part of the issue, but the fact of the matter is the Wizards had nobody they could rely on to slow down the opposing team's backcourt, especially with Smart also ruled out.
Now, the team will have to look for ways to fill the void as the season unfolds.