With the inevitable Victor Wembanyama, it is he who best embodies the new generation, the new blood that some veterans were calling for after the disaster of last summer at the World Cup. All smiles in his tricolor equipment, Bilal Coulibaly is one of the young talents who is on the rise and who intends to find his place in the Olympic squad of the Blues.
Author of a great rookie season with the Wizards, the future teammate of Alexandre Sarr discovers the Blues alongside Wemby, and under the direction of his former coach, Vincent Collet.
Bilal, how is your integration into the France group going, as you are discovering it for the first time?
When I arrive, I communicate quite a bit with everyone, because for most of the players, it's the first time I meet them. They gave me a warm welcome so everything is going very well.
How do you feel physically after your wrist glitch? Is it completely in the rearview mirror?
I feel very good physically. No problem to report. And mentally, I'm very good too. No more fear, I know I'm 100% recovered so everything is fine.
What is your mentality at the start of this preparation phase? You must find your place in this team…
That's it, I'll have to go find my place, because we have a very good team. We will have to fight in training but I obviously want to earn my place in this team. And if I have it, to play my role to the best of my ability. […] I'm here to make my place, I'm not a rookie anymore, that's all over. I'm in the mindset of being a normal player.
How do you plan to go about convincing Vincent Collet, whom you know well having played under him at Levallois?
First of all, I will have to show that I can defend against the best opposing player. And afterward, the attack will come naturally, I'm not worried about that.
What is your view on the level of the upcoming Olympic tournament?
I feel like everyone is pretty good. There are a lot of very good teams. Germany won last year but even the teams that play in the TQO, they are very strong.
“The coach knows that I am comfortable playing fast and defending”
We imagine that it also gives you pleasure to play again with Victor Wembanyama…
Just in training, it feels good to play with him again. I can't wait to see it in a match.
What were your offseason goals in terms of progression? Was it more about shooting, dribbling, muscle strengthening?
After the season, I already wanted to recover from my wrist injury. And then, afterward, it's a lot of repetitions on my shot, on the “catch & shoot” but also when exiting the dribble. Much more off the dribble actually. Also a lot of mid-distance pull-ups. To have a more complete game. I worked on my dribbling a lot too.
Concretely, how did it happen? Did you have your coaches from Washington with you in France?
I had my coach in Washington, since that's where I spent the most time. But I also spent a week in Dallas with coaches that I know well, and who are on good terms with my agents. Arriving here, I work with Joseph Gomis, whom I knew a little from before. [Mais] my coaches are very impressed by the French training, with last year's Draft plus this year's. They often talk to me about it and ask me what else we do in France [rires]
Do you think you will need time to re-adapt to the FIBA game, after a year of playing on NBA courts with different rules?
Just the field, in training, we feel that it is smaller. There you have it, you have to be much more precise in your passes, in your drives.
You have a special relationship with Vincent Collet due to your shared experience at Boulogne-Levallois, but have you had a discussion on what he expects more precisely from you in this new context of the national team?
All I know is that we will try to insist on fast play and that in defense, everyone must be very focused, everyone must be present and we form a real group. That's what he told everyone. And then, personally, he knows me, he knows that I am comfortable playing fast and playing defense. So he's going to wait for me on that.
Comments collected at INSEP
| Bilal Coulibaly | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | W.A.S. | 63 | 27 | 43.5 | 34.6 | 70.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 8.4 |
| Total | 63 | 27 | 43.5 | 34.6 | 70.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 8.4 | |
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.
