Bilal Coulibaly

[PaulinVA]

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[AFM]

legit looked like young Tmac on that dunk

BMAC

[Frichuela]

The best news of the season so far…

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[tontoz]

No Kuzma means more opportunities for Bilal. I'll be so glad when Kuzma is gone.

[nate33]

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I continue to be most impressed with his passing.

5.4 assists/gm for a 20-year-old 6'-7" wing player is a strong indication of his high basketball IQ and future playmaking ability.

[ValvPiti]

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I continue to be most impressed with his passing.

5.4 assists/gm for a 20-year-old 6'-7" wing player is a strong indication of his high basketball IQ and future playmaking ability.

Hell yeah. Thats usually what seperates good wings from great wings, and to see him to it this early is very, very promising. He can fill the stat sheet in every category.. just needs a more consistent shot, some more muscle and a few more years to try unlock his huge potential.

[Silvie Lysandra]

https://stathead.com/tiny/usW3n Year 2 Bilal isn't quiet as efficient as Year 2 Jaylen but big caveats:

- Bilal is 20, year 2 Jaylen was 21.
- Bilal is already a better FT shooter despite being worse from 3 (implies that the 3 point shooting might just come around)
- Bilal averages a lot more assists
- Bilal is on a much worse team
- Bilal actually makes more of his 2s

Just a few things to think about.

[FAH1223]

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[Frichuela]

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[Frichuela]

Bilal needs to stay aggressive offensively and continue to work on his 3 pt shot. This should unlock his offense.

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[DCZards]

Bilal needs to stay aggressive offensively and continue to work on his 3 pt shot. This should unlock his offense.

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This package of highlights does indeed say it all about Bilal’s potential on the offensive end when he’s hitting the 3 AND aggressively attacking the basket.

[Silvie Lysandra]

It's the 3s, simple as that. 21 year old Jaylen and 20yo Bilal are identical except for the 10% point gap in 3 point shooting.

[nate33]

It's the 3s, simple as that. 21 year old Jaylen and 20yo Bilal are identical except for the 10% point gap in 3 point shooting.

That really is a good comp, and a probably the higher end of his upside.

Like Jaylen Brown, Bilal will probably never be a truly natural scorer and a number 1 scoring option, but if he can become respectable from 3 point range, his athleticism and touch around the rim can be leveraged into being a 20+ point scorer and part time shot creator as a second/third option.

And defensively, he has Jaylen Brown stopper potential.

[Silvie Lysandra]

If we get Flagg, then the comp starts to hit even harder as our Tatum (even though he projects to be better than Tatum). Does Sarr's shot finally click Year 2? If so, maybe we're thinking Sarr > young KP comp. Our future becomes very very bright if we get Flagg, though I think Harper is elite as well.

[nate33]

If we get Flagg, then the comp starts to hit even harder as our Tatum (even though he projects to be better than Tatum). Does Sarr's shot finally click Year 2? If so, maybe we're thinking Sarr > young KP comp. Our future becomes very very bright if we get Flagg, though I think Harper is elite as well.

I think a Porzingis comparison is highly optimistic. Porzingis is a quick-release pick-and-pop shooter with a high release point. It's a very high degree of difficulty shot that is very hard to contest - a much more difficult skill than merely hitting 3's when you get a quality catch-and-shoot look.

I think the offensive upside of Sarr might be closer to something like Miles Turner or Brook Lopez. Hopefully he will be a reliable 3-point shooter that you can't cheat off of, but I don't see him as a lynchpin of a 2-man pick-and-pop game like Porzingis, Towns or (possibly) Holmgren. I just don't see him ever handling a usage rate like that.

[closg00]

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[doclinkin]

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Good interview.

Pre pandemic was 5'10" grew to 6'8" over the course of 2-3 years. Son of a pro player, but dad was only 6'3" so he had no expectation he'd grow tall. Players like Unibrow grew late from point guard (Jaren Jackson as well) and retained guard skills. Bilal started as a PG then moved to combo guard, what he considers himself now.

As a kid liked Wade, Kyrie. Emulated DWade in particular. Talked about players like Fox and Edwards as tough match-ups due to quickness, athleticism he hadn't seen before.

As a kid never played soccer since there were no spots on the team but he started basketball. Immediately loved it. Talked about basketball in France, with more French players coming over, feels like basketball is catching up to soccer in popularity among kids over there.

Didn't realize he was potentially NBA bound until his Metropolitan team made the playoffs and scouts started watching him as well.

Interviewer quoted Luka as talking about how it is easier to score in the NBA than in Europe; Bilal agrees that the physicality is lesser here since there is more space to drive, wider courts here and rules like the 3 second rule clears the paint (and other defensive rules, more clutching grabbing and banging allowed in Europe, etc).

In his 2nd year is comfortable in the league, easier than last year, has adjusted. Last year first West Coast swing he had a stretch where he found himself facing all the biggest names back-to-back-to-back as a Welcome to the NBA moment, where he was put against the best guy on every team. Says he loved it. The one guy who has really lived up to the hype: this year Jalen Brunson. He was playing solid defense but still could not contain him due to footwork and stepbacks etc. Last year it was Brandon Ingram, contesting everything but BI was tall enough to shoot over his contest every shot.

Next 3 months wants to work on consistency in attacking the basket. Being aggressive. Feels like his game starts with defense, getting a couple stops on D and finding teammates, then once he makes a basket can turn on his aggression. As soon as he makes a good defensive play his game wakes up and he becomes more confident.

Bilal has been measured as the quickest leaper in the league.


Fastest to get off the ground to 24". Bilal hits it in 194 milliseconds. Amen Thompson is number 2. Then Derrick Jones. Shaedon Sharpe. Ja Morant. Not a focus in his training, just work in the weight room in general. Just natural talent. Talks about playing the Clippers and threw down a dunk, Derrick Jones talked to him at the FT line telling him "man you are so athletic". Laughing about it. From this guy. "Don't tell me that".

Re rebuilding; how to focus and keep morale where it needs to be. Work hard, talk to teammates, especially to rookies, not letting it get into their heads either, lock in to the process, and feel like in a couple years they are going to be really good. Team is growing through it all together.

Re: Olympics. Learning the team, early tournament was difficult. After Japan they came together. Players only meeting. Batum led the team and all came together. Batum was the real leader, guarding best players, showed how to do it take responsibility on court and in the locker room. Win vs Canada was a turning point. On the gold medal game: when Stef hit the 1st shot they threw everything at him but at that point there was nothing they could do but hope. Playing vs Stef are the nights when you get most tired since you can never relax whether he is in or off the ball. On the French program in general there are young players coming up, Gershon in Philly, etc. they look to be tough next time.

Biggest challenge about being a young player in the NBA: staying healthy. Taking care of your body. Weight room, treatment, rest. Rest especially.

Wemby. Has played with him since they were young. On his growth: impressed but not surprised, since Wemby has always wanted to be the greatest and works harder than everyone even showing up first and reading about it. Incredibly gifted and hardest working. Bilal has learned from him; Bilal's 1st year as a pro saw Wemby getting in early and took that example. Seriousness of focus and purpose.

Luka trade: he was at Rudy Gobert's house with Sarr, eating dinner together. Alex was reading his phone and started shouting. LOL. It can happen to anybody.

Goals for the end of the year: More wins, growth from all players on the team working together. Wants to be a great 2 way player. Respect/shout out for his teammates: Rookies deserve a big shoutout. Every morning they all go to the gym early even when not required. They all listen and get better every game.

[9 and 20]

When can Bilal sign an extension? After this year or after next year? Hope we do it this year and he signs a Deni/Kispert type of deal.

[tontoz]

When can Bilal sign an extension? After this year or after next year? Hope we do it this year and he signs a Deni/Kispert type of deal.

Pretty sure it's after next season.

[nate33]

When can Bilal sign an extension? After this year or after next year? Hope we do it this year and he signs a Deni/Kispert type of deal.

He will probably cost more.

Deni had 3 straight years of fairly flat production and didn't provide enough signs that he was likely to break out in Year 4. It was rather lucky that we signed him to a deal that quickly became and underpay.

Kispert had more or less reached his ceiling by Year 3 so there really isn't much improvement priced into his contract.

I think Bilal is showing both improvement and a massive unrealized upside. I expect him to cost quite a bit more than Deni. It's too early to speculate on the dollar figure though.