Bilal Coulibaly — a teammate of presumptive No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama at Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 in France — is one of the fastest rising prospects of the 2023 NBA Draft. According to the Mock Draft Consensus, the 18-year-old will be drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the No. 12 overall pick.
Boulogne-Levallois' Bilal Coulibaly (0) drives up court in action during the playoffs of the Elite basketball match Boulogne-Levallois against Monaco at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday, June 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
| Pos | Ht | Wt | Age | Team | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | 6-8 | 194 | 18 | Metropolitans 92 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 0.8 |
Strengths
- Athleticism — NBA teams are drawn to his immense potential as a bouncy and long 3-and-D wing.
- Vertical leap — Coulibaly thrives above the rim, soaring in for putback dunks and crashing the boards.
- Wingspan — At 7-foot-2, it allows him to protect the rim and disrupt passing lanes.
- Speed — It's apparent on both ends of the court, whether he's slashing to the basket on offense or covering ground on defense.
Weaknesses
- Strength — Like most teenage prospects, he'll need to bulk up to hold his ground against NBA muscle.
- Ball handling — His handle can be loose and needs to be tightened up for him to get to the rim.
- Shooting — He made 45.2% of his 3-pointers (on just 1.1 attempts per game), but he has to develop a quicker trigger to get his shot off against NBA defenses.
Fun facts
- Coulibaly experienced a remarkable growth spurt, going from 5-6 to 6-3 to 6-6 over a two-year span.
- He missed the NBA Combine because his team, Metropolitans 92, was competing in the playoffs.
