Wizards End of the Season Grades: Bilal Coulibaly

Bilal Coulibaly's sophomore campaign was better, but it ended like his rookie season, with an injury. He has tremendous potential, but progression is expected. It's not to say that there weren't good signs, because there were. He was a pest on the defensive end, but offensively, he's far from a finished product. Will he take that next step? Let's take a look at this season and what it might mean for Coulibaly's future.

Sustains

When it comes to what areas of Bilal's game need to be sustained, it's his defense. He's the best defender on the team and is tasked with guarding the best player on the other team every night. His instincts, intangibles, and ability to disrupt passing lanes are reasons why he'll be on an All-Defensive team sooner rather than later. Now lets' talk about his offense.

He made serious strides on offense, but two factors slowed down his progress: Kyle Kuzma and injury. When Kyle Kuzma went down with an injury, Bilal took on more offensive responsibility and shined. He showed better ball handling, an improved mid-range, and more confidence in his three-point shot. Then Kuz came back, and with that, a lot of the offensive touches. His injury didn't help either. His work ethic will shine when it's all said and done, and it's expected that he'll put in the work to take the next step in his development.

Improves

What he needs to improve is obvious: his offensive repertoire. While he can attack the rim and even put someone on a poster any given night, he may need to stem how he attacks and how often. Both seasons ended early for Bilal because of injuries that occurred when he attacked the rim. When you go up, most of the time, someone is going up with you.

He needs to add to his offensive tool bag, and while he definitely needs to further improve his mid-range and three-point shot, being more polished when it comes to point scoring will pay dividends. Also, knowing when and when not to go up for a slam dunk is something he's going to have to work on.

Does Bilal need work? Yes. Are the Wizards worried? No. He's known to be a hard worker, and he's young. He's like clay before you make a pot. In the beginning, it's misshapen and raw, but when it's all said and done, it's a pot that serves many purposes. Bilal Coulibaly is going to be a two-way All-Star. All he needs is time.

Grade: B