Bilal Coulibaly: 2023 NBA Draft Scouting Report
One of the biggest late risers, Coulibaly's raw tools are carrying him to lottery range. Can he live up to the hype?
Earlier this week, I wrote about the reasons that there’s one archetype that really hurts me: raw, athletic, non-shooting wings who project as role players.
It’s one of the most important strides I hope to make this year as a scout, and one of the vital archetypes to nail based on the trajectory of the NBA. I’ve long believed that it’s an archetype that isn’t built for playoff success, and while that’s true, there are still guys who can (and do) improve as shooters or find value as role players nonetheless.
Throughout this week, I’ll be looking at three of the tougher prospects in this class who fit that mold — Tennessee’s Julian Phillips, Arkansas’ Jordan Walsh, and Bilal Coulibaly of Metropolitans 92 — in depth. Their scouting reports will be done and I’ll come to conclusions on their strengths and skill level, then I’ll examine them through the lens of four questions to figure out how to more accurately rank them:
How confident am I in their projectability to improve as a shooter?
Do they have other offensive skills that can compensate to give them value during the regular season?
Are there elite intangibles (motor, work ethic, character) that make them the right guy to buy in on regardless of the shot?
What are other trusted scouts seeing in these guys that can try to swing me to buy in on them?
At first glance, Coulibaly has so many of the traits that I love in a prospect. He’s super athletic, both in his vertical pop and how he moves laterally. He projects as an excellent, versatile, multi-positional defender. He’s super young and making an impact in a professional league at a high level, helping Metropolitans 92 make a push toward an LNB Pro A championship.
I’ve watched a lot of Metropolitans 92 this year, as they have the top prospect in the world, Victor Wembanyama, on their team. Coulibaly has advanced in their system and carved out a larger role for himself as the season has gone on, going from out of the rotation to an important piece during the postseason. It’s gotten to the point where he’s one of their three most important players on the floor in the playoffs.
Despite the recent uptick in usage, Coulibaly is often hesitant on the offensive end. He’s taking only 6.9 FGA per 36 minutes for Metropolitans; only two non-centers had a lower rate in the NBA this season (Alex Caruso and PJ Tucker). The other below 8.0 FGA per 36: Patrick Beverley, Dyson Daniels, Draymond Green, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Hart, Isaac Okoro, and Anthony Gill.
The level of defensive tools that Coulibaly has are rare and difficult to find. Combine those with great athletic traits to become a downhill slasher and the in-season improvements he’s undergone and it is understandable why he’s darting up draft boards into lottery territory.
Coulibaly is incredibly young and still super raw. He won’t turn 19 until July and is still growing into his frame. He could end up being taller in a few years, and as he continues to reign in some of his perimeter skills and get some on-ball reps, there’s a lot that he can grow into on offense.
Coulibaly is a fascinating evaluation and the buzz around him is really taking off lately. He’s either going to need a massive change to his shooting mechanics or continue on the insane trajectory he’s been on over the last 12 months or so to keep evolving into a downhill slasher.
Offense
How confident am I in their projectability to improve as a shooter?
Off-ball wings have two main areas where they impact the game in the half-court: as spot-up shooters or as smart, timely cutters. A little later on, I’ll dissect the upside for Coulibaly to add more on-ball into his arsenal. But half-court impact based on the role he currently projects to fill most safely is vital to master first.