Meet Bilal Coulibaly. He’s an 18-year-old, 6’6” small forward and French professional player who now plays for the Washington Wizards. Despite the team’s effort and standings in playoffs, Coulibaly could turn out to be a pivotal piece of the team’s culture and perhaps change a whole season around for the Wizards.
Bilal Coulibaly will be the first Wizards player to receive a jersey with the number zero on it since Gilbert Arenas, who last played for the team in 2010. The reason is due to the first-round pick, and by wearing the number zero, Bilal Coulibaly somewhat represents former Wizard Gilbert Arenas.
“Actually, I’m quite proud to wear the number,” Coulibaly said. “I know Agent Zero was the last one to wear that, and all the respect to him. I had a great year last year with that number. I hope that continues.
Coulibaly was projected to go in next year’s draft until his strong finish pushed him to schedule ahead of time. As a result, he entered the same cycle as the teammate he befriended at age thirteen.
“We were dreaming about it before. This year we were just thinking about it – is it going to come?” Coulibaly said on a conference call from New York. “…So yeah, we’ve been talking a lot about it. We’re proud of each other.”
Coulibaly considers himself to be a guard who blows by defenders with ease and describes himself as a two-way player. He says he spends lot of time watching Mikal Bridges play at games. In addition to that raw talent, he brings in his bag of skills, a professional attitude, and an unselfish personality to an NBA audience and team that values those traits.
Coulibaly’s shooting needs work and he might even need to pick up on calories to withstand the intensity of the NBA’s competitiveness and prodigiously busy schedule. He has great offensive tactics and agility overall, not to mention his good timing and instincts with passes. However, he lacks experience playing against higher-level opponents, which may have a huge impact on this player’s career.
“The basketball will take care of itself. So will the work. He’s coming in with substance as a competitor, as a person and as a worker. Got a long way to go, a lot of stuff to work on, but there’s a lot there to tap into,” Dawkins said.
Known for agility and speed, Coulibaly is becoming an ultimate top pick as the newest addition to the team. While he lacks pro experience, his pleasant demeanor and performance on and off the court could take him far. Afterall, the game isn’t over till the clock says zero. This youngster could drive and lead the Washington Wizards to their promised land.
Bilal Coulibaly will be the first Wizards player to receive a jersey with the number zero on it since Gilbert Arenas, who last played for the team in 2010. The reason is due to the first-round pick, and by wearing the number zero, Bilal Coulibaly somewhat represents former Wizard Gilbert Arenas.
“Actually, I’m quite proud to wear the number,” Coulibaly said. “I know Agent Zero was the last one to wear that, and all the respect to him. I had a great year last year with that number. I hope that continues.
Coulibaly was projected to go in next year’s draft until his strong finish pushed him to schedule ahead of time. As a result, he entered the same cycle as the teammate he befriended at age thirteen.
“We were dreaming about it before. This year we were just thinking about it – is it going to come?” Coulibaly said on a conference call from New York. “…So yeah, we’ve been talking a lot about it. We’re proud of each other.”
Coulibaly considers himself to be a guard who blows by defenders with ease and describes himself as a two-way player. He says he spends lot of time watching Mikal Bridges play at games. In addition to that raw talent, he brings in his bag of skills, a professional attitude, and an unselfish personality to an NBA audience and team that values those traits.
Coulibaly’s shooting needs work and he might even need to pick up on calories to withstand the intensity of the NBA’s competitiveness and prodigiously busy schedule. He has great offensive tactics and agility overall, not to mention his good timing and instincts with passes. However, he lacks experience playing against higher-level opponents, which may have a huge impact on this player’s career.
“The basketball will take care of itself. So will the work. He’s coming in with substance as a competitor, as a person and as a worker. Got a long way to go, a lot of stuff to work on, but there’s a lot there to tap into,” Dawkins said.
Known for agility and speed, Coulibaly is becoming an ultimate top pick as the newest addition to the team. While he lacks pro experience, his pleasant demeanor and performance on and off the court could take him far. Afterall, the game isn’t over till the clock says zero. This youngster could drive and lead the Washington Wizards to their promised land.
