Bilal Coulibaly's late-season surge hints at a breakout. Can his explosive athleticism finally translate into the coveted 3&D wing the Washington Wizards desperately need?
Grade Bilal Coulibaly's 2025-26 season
When looking at the roster construction of the last handful of championship winning teams, one thing they all have in common is an athletic, 3&D wing. Alex Caruso for the Thunder, Derrick White for the Celtics, Bruce Brown for the Nuggets and so on and so forth.
It is becoming increasingly popular in the modern day NBA to have multiple wings that can both defend and shoot at a high level, but luckily for the Washington Wizards, they may have a budding star in third year wing Bilal Coulibaly.
Washington Wizards Forward Bilal Coulibaly (0) | © Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn ImagesCoulibaly was selected 7th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Washington Wizards.
A freakishly athletic 6-foot-7 wing that could get downhill with ease and defend all five positions was hard to pass up on, but Coulibaly's offensive game was always his biggest concern.
Three years into his NBA career, Coulibaly has yet to develop a consistent offensive repertoire and has struggled to stay on the court. However, a late surge this past season gives Wizards fans hope that Coulibaly could finally emerge as the 3&D weapon that we expected.
In his 2025-26 campaign, Coulibaly averaged 11.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 stocks on 42.5% FG and 31.9% 3FG in 56 games played.
Coulibaly continued to display his lightning quick speed on both ends of the court, and often parlayed that with numerous plays in transition.
Coulibaly had an extremely encouraging finish to the season, as he averaged 15.4 points per game in March and April, with six of those games recording 20 or more points.
With an increased amount of playing time, Coulibaly was able to showcase his improved three point shooting as he shot 38.2% from three in 17 games -- a significant improvement from his 28.1% the previous season.
It is important to note that GM Will Dawkins mentioned that Coulibaly led the team in practice shots this season, according to internal tracking data.
It is evident that Coulibaly has been putting in the work to reach his full potential, and becoming a more efficient shooter is the first step in doing so. While Coulibaly's shooting has slowly improved and his ability to finish around the rim is elite, his handle and shotmaking ability is still subpar.
However, if Coulibaly can replicate his March and April success from behind the arc, there's no denying that he can be one of the league's best 3&D players.
The question remains, can Coulibaly replicate his late success from behind the arc?
It would not be wild to think so, as he clearly put in the work throughout the season to improve as a shooter. It is also important to note that Coulibaly will be playing with the best pure point guard of his career in Trae Young next season, so he should be getting a handful of open looks on a nightly basis.
Overall, Coulibaly took tremendous strides in year three, and at only 21 years old has way more room to grow. Yet as he enters the summer extension eligible, what will that translate to in terms of a new deal - and will a new deal materialize this offseason? One expert pointed to Corey Kispert and Deni Avdija as comparable players for Coulibaly with his status one of a handful of key questions for Dawkins & Co. to address.