After around thirty matches in the legs lasting more than 26 minutes on average, Bilal Coulibaly is he facing the famous “rookie wall”? After shining in the first half of December (13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 blocks on average over six games), the Wizards' French rookie has been struggling for 15 days, with 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds. and 2.1 assists on average over the last eight games.
Sunday evening against the Hawks of the Young-Murray pair, Bilal Coulibaly was transparent, at 0/3 shooting, for 4 rebounds and 3 assists, far from the sharp player he was until recently in exit from the bench. He also inherited his second lowest playing time since the start of the season, just 17 minutes.
To read >>> The big interview with Bilal Coulibaly
His teammate Kyle Kuzma also noticed the less good shot of the 7th choice of the last Draft and he asks him to find this aggressive side which is his strength.
“He just needs to be more aggressive, get rebounds, get up the ball and go… He needs to attack defenders, those kinds of things he can do, set the team up, take his chances at 3-points. He should be more aggressive. I tell him all the time. He's going to get through this. But it’s clear that he needs to be more aggressive”confided inside the Wizards after the meeting.
A state of mind of “wanting to break everything”
In addition to the sequence of matches and therefore physical fatigue, Bilal Coulibaly also has to deal with a team that has a series of defeats, and you have to be strong in your head to not sink.
Not an easy challenge for the young Frenchman who will be able to count on Kyle Kuzma to guide him.
” Of course. Because it's a state of mind to have. As a rookie, I never went through that personally, but that's how I see it, you can get discouraged very quickly. To always have an aggressive state of mind, you have to have a unique mentality, that of wanting to break everything. This is also how you will have a regular level of confidence. It’s something he has to learn and assimilate.”
The Wizards will only play again on Wednesday in Cleveland, so Bilal Coulibaly will be able to get a little rest before tackling 2024 with his feet on the floor.
| 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. | 30 | 26 | 52.1 | 41.0 | 64.7 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 8.8 |
| Total | 30 | 26 | 52.1 | 41.0 | 64.7 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 8.8 | |
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.
