Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Starts in first preseason game
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Coulibaly posted 10 points (4-6 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-1 FT), two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 24 minutes during Sunday's 125-98 preseason loss to the Raptors.
With Malcolm Brogdon (hand) unavailable, Coulibaly drew the start at shooting guard over Corey Kispert. Coulibaly's rookie season was a mixed bag, but he showed promise. Given the Wizards aren't expected to compete for a playoff spot this season, Coulibaly should get plenty of developmental minutes even if he struggles out of the gate in Year 2.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Posts 11 points against Germany
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Coulibaly notched 11 points (5-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and three rebounds across 23 minutes in France's 70-65 exhibition loss to Germany on Monday.
Coulibaly tied Nicolas Batum with a team-high 11 points in France's Olympic preparation game loss Monday. The 19-year-old missed the Wizards' last 15 games due to a right wrist injury, but he seems to be good to go for training camp as he plays for his home country in the offseason. Coulibaly averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks across 27.2 minutes in 63 regular-season games last season.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Season ends early
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The Wizards announced Monday that Coulibaly will miss the remainder of the season due to a right wrist fracture.
Coulibaly missed Sunday's 130-104 loss to the Celtics with what the Wizards had listed as a right wrist sprain, but follow-up tests apparently revealed a more serious injury. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft will ultimately miss the final 15 games of the 2023-24, finishing his rookie campaign with averages of 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 three-pointers, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks in 27.2 minutes per contest over 63 appearances (15 starts) on 43.5 percent shooting from the field. The 19-year-old wing remains a raw prospect, and his efficiency progressively worsened throughout the course of the campaign as he took on added volume, but he has all the tools and a strong foundation to be a valuable wing in the league. Look for him to push for a regular 30-plus-minute role with Washington in 2024-25.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Won't play Sunday
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Coulibaly (wrist) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Celtics, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
Coulibaly and Kyle Kuzma (shoulder) have been downgraded from questionable to out and will join Landry Shamet (calf), Deni Avdija (knee) and Marvin Bagley (back) as inactive. Given all the absences, Patrick Baldwin, Jared Butler, Eugene Omoruyi and Johnny Davis are all candidates for increased roles.
Coulibaly supplied 11 points (3-12 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals in 32 minutes during Tuesday's 109-97 loss to Memphis.
Coulibaly produced on both ends of the floor, albeit with some poor shooting thrown in. He remains a raw talent, especially on the offensive end. It makes sense for the Wizards to hand him a sizeable role down the stretch, making him worth a look in standard leagues.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Soaks up heavy minutes in return
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Coulibaly (pelvis) tallied seven points (2-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, one assist and one block across 33 minutes Monday in the Wizards' 127-115 loss to the Jazz.
Coulibaly took back a starting role and drew major minutes in his return from a three-game absence due to a right pelvic contusion, but a lowly 9.6 percent usage rate coupled with poor efficiency from the field resulted in a rather muted fantasy line for the rookie. Though the 19-year-old should get all the run he can handle over the final month of the regular season, he'll likely need to ramp up his usage before warranting more attention in 12-team leagues.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Not on injury report
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Coulibaly (pelvis) isn't listed on Washington's injury report ahead of Monday's game against the Jazz.
Coulibaly returned to practice Sunday and will end his three-game absence Monday. The rookie carved out a large role in February, averaging 7.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 29.0 minutes over nine appearances (five starts) before suffering the pelvis injury.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Ramping up
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Coulibaly (pelvis) was active at practice Sunday, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
The extent to which Coulibaly practiced Sunday is unspecified, but the 19-year-old appears to be on the mend from a bruised right pelvis which has cost him Washington's past three games. Monday against Utah represents his next opportunity to take the court.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Remains out Friday
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Coulibaly (pelvis) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Clippers.
Coulibaly will miss a third straight game due to a right pelvic contusion. Landry Shamet should continue to start, while Corey Kispert sees increased playing time off the bench. Coulibaly's next chance to suit up will come Monday in Utah.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Won't return Sunday
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Coulibaly is out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Cavaliers due to a right pelvis contusion.
Coulibaly take a hard fall early in the first quarter and stayed in the game momentarilly before eventually making his way to the bench. The rookie was ruled out shortly thereafter, finishing the game with three points, one rebound and one assist in five minutes. His status for Wednesday's matchup with the Warriors is now in question.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Decent output in blowout loss
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Coulibaly had 11 points (4-10 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-3 FT), five rebounds, two assists and two steals across 31 minutes during Friday's 147-106 loss to Oklahoma City.
Coulibaly has started in each of Washington's last three games, and there's a strong chance he'll stay in that role for the foreseeable future given Washington's rebuilding process and the fact they've gone 9-47 this season. Coulibaly has shown flashes of his talent and the ability to stuff the stat sheet when given extended minutes, something that was noticeable in this loss as well. He's averaging 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game when deployed in a starting role.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Starting Thursday
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Coulibaly will replace Jordan Poole in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Nuggets.
Poole is getting benched, and with the Wizards sitting on a record of 9-45, it's possible this could be a change that sticks to give Coulibaly some developmental minutes over the second half of the season. Coulibaly offers decent upside as a producer of defensive stats, so he's worth a speculative add in most leagues. Joining him in the first unit for Thursday's game will be Deni Avdija, Tyus Jones, Kyle Kuzma and Marvin Bagley.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Nabs another start
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Coulibaly will start Wednesday's game against the Pelicans.
Coulibaly steps into the place of Kyle Kuzma, who's sidelined due to illness. In four starts this season, Coulibaly is averaging 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 combined steals/blocks.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Back to second unit
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Coulibaly will move back to the bench for Saturday's game against the 76ers.
Marvin Bagley (back) is returning from his injury and will jump back into the starting five. Despite the move to the bench, Coulibaly figures to play a key role the rest of the season. He had a terrific showing Friday against the Celtics, scoring 21 points (6-18 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 5-5 FT) with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals over 33 minutes.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Joins starting lineup
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Coulibaly will enter the starting lineup for Friday's game against Boston, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
The Wizards traded Daniel Gafford away at the deadline, and Richaun Holmes (trade pending) and Marvin Bagley (back) are both unavailable. As a result, the Wizards will roll with a smaller lineup with Kyle Kuzma shifting to center. In three starts this season, Coulibaly has averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 blocks.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Returns to bench
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Coulibaly isn't in the starting five for Wednesday's game versus the Cavaliers.
Kyle Kuzma will reclaim his starting spot from Coulibaly after missing the previous game with a shoulder injury. The rookie forward is averaging 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 27.2 minutes across his last five appearances coming off the bench.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Will start sans Kuzma
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Coulibaly will start Sunday's game against the Suns.
With Kyle Kuzma (shoulder) sidelined, Coulibaly will make his third career start. During a Jan. 31 start against the Clippers, the rookie posted 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks in 37 minutes. However, Coulibaly did shake off a questionable tag due to a lower back contusion, so he may not see that heavy of a workload versus Phoenix.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Returns to bench role
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Coulibaly won't start Friday's game against the Heat.
With Jordan Poole (illness) sidelined, Coulibaly started Wednesday's loss to the Clippers and posted 19 points (8-16 FG), four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal in 37 minutes. However, Poole will be back in action Friday, sending the rookie to a reserve role.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Stuffs stat sheet Wednesday
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Coulibaly chipped in 19 points (8-16 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 37 minutes during Wednesday's 125-109 loss to the Clippers.
Coulibaly got the start Wednesday after Jordan Poole (illness) was a late scratch, and he was highly productive, filling out the stat sheet and notching the second-best scoring mark of his young NBA career. Coulibaly will likely return to the bench if Poole is listed as available when the Wizards take on the Heat on Friday. Still, even under that scenario, he could be a decent alternative in most formats since he keeps finding ways to produce even when deployed with the second unit.
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Wizards' Bilal Coulibaly: Inconsistent production continues
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Coulibaly provided five points (1-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 25 minutes during Monday's 136-128 loss to the Thunder.
Over his last 10 appearances, Coulibaly has played 26.0 minutes per game, but he hasn't been overly productive, averaging 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks. The rookie figures to continue getting plenty of run for the woeful Wizards (6-30), but he doesn't need to be rostered in standard fantasy leagues.