Bilal Coulibaly emerged from the shadow of Victor Wembanyama as his teammate in 2023, earning a likely lottery pick. On the year, Coulibaly averaged (across both French divisions) 10.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG, and 1.6 TOPG on splits of 53/34/70.5. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Bilal Coulibaly
Height/Weight: 6’8/194
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’2 ¼/8’11
Hand size: 9 ¾
Position: Wing
Pre-Draft team: Metroplitans 92 (France)
Tools: Cutting, athleticism, feel for the game
Pros:
- Excellent athlete
- Feel for the game
- Comfortable with both hands
- Great length
- Long strides as a slasher
- Seems to be in the right spots at the right time
- Good euro step
- Quick first step
- Outstanding frame
- Efficient finisher at the rim that can finish above the rim with ease
Cons:
- Wide base on jump shot with awkward mechanics
- Overall slow shot; will have to speed up his jumper
- Can find himself getting into foul trouble too often
- Can lack discipline defensively at times
- Poor off the dribble shooter
- Needs to get stronger
Swing Skills:
- Jump shooting success
Summary:
Bilal Coulibaly has quickly become one of the fastest risers, benefitting from both playing next to Victor Wembanyama, as well as being one of the final prospects to be playing throughout the pre-draft process.
Defensively, while he still needs to become more disciplined and get stronger to stay with the premier wings in the NBA, Coulibaly uses his long arms, good footwork and strong lateral movement, and his versatile size to his advantage in locking ball-handlers up and making them reconsider their decisions often.
Offensively, while his jumper needs work with a wide base, somewhat clunky form, with a need for improved speed, and poor off the dribble shooting, there is still lots of upside as a slasher and 2 point scorer. With plus athleticism and unbelievably long strides (think Giannis & Scottie Barnes), as well as great touch at the rim, he is already one of the hardest players to stop with a head of steam overseas for his age. As he develops his handle even more, which has good skill but needs to still be tightened, he should see his offensive foul numbers go down since he will often bulldoze defenders instead of learning to go around them (think Giannis again). He also will go from good handle for his age to objectively overall good handle, especially for a forward/wing, which is a key part of his star upside that he possesses. If he can develop his handle enough to become a primary initiator at any point, this will be the single reason as to why he is a star in this league.
Overall, Coulibaly has a great feel for the game that makes his teammates better and the team sees obvious improvements to efficiency when he is on the floor. As he adds strengths, tightens his handle, and improves his jumper, Coulibaly will inch towards his star upside. Even if he only significantly improves two of these areas, there will still be monumental results. If he adds strength to where he needs to be, his finishing and defense should approach elite territory, since he uses his length so well at the rim and is already outstanding. If he improves as a shooter, he has legitimate 3 level scoring upside with defensive abilities. If he tightens his handle, he has legitimate first option upside, as well as being able to run offense.
Coulibaly’s already advanced game turning more advanced is what gives him one of the greatest upsides in the 2023 NBA Draft. While he was a beneficiary of being one of the last prospects to play and getting hot after the NCAA season ended, he also had to play catch-up having a slower start to the year than other prospects in his range. Look for Coulibaly to be this year’s late riser that gives teams hopes of finding a franchise changer after the 5th pick.
Similar to: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Scottie Barnes, Shawn Marion
Projected draft range: 6-14
Expected role: Two-way wing with incredible feel for the game and strong upside as a slasher.
Unplayable if: Unlikely to become unplayable, but in the playoffs he could struggle until his jumper comes along, barring him becoming elite at finishing, playmaking, and defense.
Exceeds expectations if: Any 2 of his jump shot, filling out his frame, or tightens his handle comes into fruition.
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