A sub sent from the 3-point line. This is how Bilal Coulibaly started his evening against the Mavs. Which is anything but ideal for a player who is struggling with his shooting at the moment.
After several other misses from the Frenchman of the Wizards, Luka Doncic even took the liberty of inviting him to shoot a little later in the first quarter. The native of Saint-Cloud will not be happier when he tries, perhaps too infrequently, to get closer to the circle.
At the start of the second half, Kyrie Irving came to steal a ball from him. On the next possession, Bilal Coulibaly took the baseline and jumped without finding a freed teammate. Another lost ball. In 29 minutes, the Habs did not convert a single shot in the game (4 points at 0/10 including 0/5 from distance) and lost 4 balls in total.
“ He's a little short of pace. We added new guys in the five. Different combinations will sometimes cause this sort of thing. You go through that from time to time in a season, in your career. I have confidence in Bilal, his character. In fact, I thought he had a good match “, positive his coach Brian Keefe.
A crisis of skill
Despite his major clumsiness, his player still contributed 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 interceptions. “ He just missed the shots he usually takes. But he was aggressive, his defense was pretty good. He will get through this, I believe in him », Continues the Washington technician, who started Marvin Bagley III for the first time this season in his racket.
The coach knows that Bilal Coulibaly has been much less lively since mid-November and his fantastic start to the season. Over his last five outings, the 20-year-old averages only 5 points on just… 17% on shots (7% on 3-pointers) in 33 minutes.
“ The good thing about him is the work. I have seen, we have all seen players, even very good players, go through difficult times. It clearly puts you to the test, but we believe in the character and the work behind it », Continues Brian Keefe, who logically is not going to push his player.
“ I am a positive person, I like complicated things, challenges. This is a good thing for the players. It can generate real resilience, that's what this league is about. Evening after evening, how to bounce back and stay regular? You have to rely on work habits. He learns to get through it. A lot of great players have been there, he can take up the challenge, which he already does every day », finishes the coach.
| 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 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 8.4 |
| 2024-25 | W.A.S. | 19 | 35 | 44.2 | 27.9 | 77.4 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 11.8 |
| Total | 82 | 29 | 43.7 | 32.9 | 72.5 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 4.4 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 9.2 | |
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.
