“ We want to build intelligently. » This is the slogan displayed by the Wizards and their president Michael Winger, who says he studied “ all teams in the league, current or past » to get an idea of the method to follow: rely on patience and player development. Bilal Coulibaly is perhaps the player who will best embody this philosophy.
At the age of 19, the Frenchman, drafted in 7th place last June, has already given plenty of assurances of satisfaction to his franchise in recent weeks. As the Wizards have taken the path of a reconstruction, after the transfers of Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis this summer, he should be mobilized from his debut. But the men of the capital will be patient with him.
“ As the third youngest player in the league, he is very competitive defensively, which I think will allow him to be on the field right away. The most important thing with him is not to skip ahead, not to rush him, to allow him to reveal himself as a player and to understand that his golden age is in five, six or seven years. “, delivers team GM Will Dawkins.
Coulibaly, a “two-way player” of the future
Considering his performances in the summer league, the manager had already noted at home that “ his defense will always be ahead of his attack. […] Talking to the staff, we said, ‘Let’s put it to the test, let’s put it on the pitch, on the best backs, the best wingers, on some big guys, and see what we get.’ He understood what he had to do. When you’ve played against professionals, the transition isn’t as difficult as it is for guys coming straight from college. »
His defensive qualities will be all the more appreciated as the Jordan Poole – Kyle Kuzma tandem, expected to be the cornerstones of the Wizards the coming season, will be much more focused on attack.
“ Whatever our athletes’ goal, we will take very detailed notes, measure everything that is measurable and talk about it frequently. If too much time passes between these discussions with athletes, they don’t necessarily know if they are improving. […] We will be in regular contact with our players, probably more than usual “, warns Michael Winger.
The latter says he has “ a vision » for this team. And it’s not about creating ” a flash in the pan ”, but to build a structure “ sustainable. Tough decisions, a lot of patience, a lot of attention to player development, a lot of attention to research, that’s what we’re going to do. » With a Bilal Coulibaly who will have his place in this project.
