All of Washington is already under the spell of Bilal Coulibaly

Victim of a broken wrist, Bilal Coulibaly will not see the NBA courts again this season. But the French winger will be able to focus on his next goal in advance: the Olympic Games at home with the Blues!

“He’s going to have a super important offseason. And he will be able to start now, on certain parts of his game and to work on his body”predicts Wizards interim coach Brian Keefe. “I know he's going to enjoy it because he's like that. He is already very mature for his age. »

Expected in the weight room to strengthen himself, but also in the gym to work on his ball handling and his shooting (like any young player), Bilal Coulibaly is in any case unanimous in the locker rooms of the federal capital. His freshness, his seriousness and his versatility already make him a basic man for the future of the Wizards.

“He had a fantastic season! He was invited to the Rising Stars Challenge. Going to All-Star Weekend in your first year is huge”enthuses Jordan Poole for Monumental Sports. “He had a lot of playing time, he gained a lot of experience, which is super important for a rookie. He's had a great season and I'm very excited for his future. »

Very close to Anthony Gill who more or less became his NBA tutor as the season progressed, Bilal Coulibaly was well supported and advised, despite the terrible results of his team: “I’m really proud of him. He had an incredible first year. It has no limits! “, confirms Anthony Gill.

The Olympic springboard to pass the milestone

Among the players he has spent the most time against on defense this year are Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell, Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young and Jayson Tatum. Very good people, which proves the confidence of his staff in his qualities, and in his defensive versatility.

“Your rookie year, people expect you to be a rookie. We can't make the same mistakes in the second year. He will progress, he will have a lot of opportunities to learn. Starting this offseason, which will be very important for him to strengthen himself and understand his body even better. Still learning the game, gaining confidence and what he can do at the highest level. It's going to be a very important summer but I know he's ready to attack it, we talked about it together.”assures Anthony Gill.

Author of a promising first campaign, averaging 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, the young Habs will want to get back on track as quickly as possible. So as not to miss the Olympic train. A new springboard for the former Mets who should find his friend, Victor Wembanyama… but also his former coach, Vincent Collet.

“ [Quand tu reviens ta deuxième année], you really need to take care of yourself as a player. You're not a rookie anymore, things are familiar and you know what to work on. And it's during the summer that you can make your progress. I know he is going to play for his national team at the Olympic Games and that will be huge for his progress,” concludes Corey Kispert. “I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in his second year. »

How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.