Many people haven't seen it, but washington wizards And considering the team's record of 2 wins and 13 losses, it's hard to blame them. But it also means that many basketball fans are missing out on the sheer joy of watching young forward Bilal Koulibaly.
He's not the hottest French prospect in the league this season — that honor would of course go to Victor Wembaneyama of the San Antonio Spurs — but Koulibaly currently has the Most Valuable Player Award. He is putting together a worthy second season. . In a plague-filled season for DC, he's proven to be a bright spot for one of the NBA's basement dwellers.
Last year he He was the 7th overall pick. and had Expected rookie season As a result, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds per game, and just under 2 stocks (steals and blocks) per game in just 27 minutes per game. He showed a lot of flashes of promise, especially on the defensive end of the floor, making good use of his long 7-foot-2 wingspan to primarily disrupt passing lanes and weak rim protection on the sides.
All 19 years old. His previous professional experience was in the French second division.
In his rookie season, he had a block rate of 2.3% (meaning he blocked 2.3% of his opponent's shots) and a steal rate of 1.6%. Despite the significant increase in minutes, he has largely maintained those rates, with a block rate of 1.7% and steal rate of 1.7% in 2024. Among players who played at least 30 minutes per game, only 21 games exceeded those averages: Anthony Davis, Jalen Suggs, OG Anunoby, Bam Adebayo, and Wenbanyama.
Plays like the one above show the progress Koulibaly has made this season. Not only has Koulibaly maintained his defense and become a promising rookie, but he has also gained much more confidence and opportunities in attack. He wasn't bad at shooting from beyond the arc as a rookie, but he's been making more challenging 3-point shots this season.
He also has more responsibility for playmaking off the dribble for the Wizards this year. He is making 68.4% of his shots inside the arc and an astonishing 39.2% at the rim. It's slightly less than last season in terms of percentage, but it's higher in quantity. So far, he has taken 51 shots at the rim in 14 games, according to the NBA's official stats site. Last season, he took 212 shots there. Considering what he did in the first few games, he'll be on pace to hit 255 attempts even if he only plays 70 games.
Koulibaly has also improved significantly as a finisher this year. In his rookie season, he was just below the league's average for forwards, with 67% of his shots hitting the rim. However, this season, it has increased to 76.5%. This puts him among the best players in the league, along with Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant. He has also become a very good mid-range scorer this season, making 45.2% of his shots so far, according to Cleaning The Glass. This means he shot 61.7% from inside the arc. Only 10 players, Domantas Sabonis, Rudy Gobert and Christian Braun, have performed at this level or better while playing more than 30 minutes per game.
Koulibaly has also become much better as a scoring option and playmaking threat.
For example, in the play above, he took Jonathan Isaac, who is considered one of the best defenders in the league, off the bounce. When he drives, the defense focuses on him. Moe Wagner helps drive, leaving Jonas Valanciunas open. Koulibaly threw a pass and hit a wide-open layup.
He doesn't have the most complex reads, but the defense will have to focus on him, going from a player who was mostly bad on offense aside from a few cuts and the occasional catch-and-shoot three as a rookie. He is making a leap forward into his second year. This is a very encouraging step. It's all part of the fact that Koulibaly has a unique combination of defensive utility and attacking power.
While this is certainly one of the more unique stats you see promoting players on local broadcasts, it's still notable that Koulibaly has played for at least 25 minutes per game in his second year with a steal rate. That means he's the only player to hit 1.5%. Highest block rate, 2-point field goal percentage over 60%, 3-point field goal percentage over 35%, and assist rate over 10% in NBA history. Trey Murphy III and Mikal Bridges will be added if we take away the assist rate. Both of these wingers are highly regarded, and if Koulibaly can develop into that mold while improving his playmaking and off-the-bounds scoring ability, he could be well on his way to becoming a future All-Star.
And if he can truly make that leap, the Wizards could provide a magical spark in their rebuilding needs.
