Bilal Coulibaly is kind of the mystery man of this year's draft cycle. He is playing for the same club that the top prospect in the class, Victor Wembenyama, has been playing for, Metropolitans 92. Having such a star-powered teammate allowed Bilal to get more of a spotlight than he otherwise would have. Scouts would come to see Wemby only to find themselves intrigued by this raw lengthy wing talent that was playing next to him. He has risen up draft boards fairly quickly due to some special feel for the game and his really interesting frame. Bilal didn’t put up huge numbers when playing for the main club but he did show a lot of flashes. He has great athletic tools and he displayed a real feel for scoring. When he played for the Met 92 U21 team he dominated. He scored far more efficiently and had the ball in his hands as the first option. He thrived when given an opportunity and turned his flashes into production. This boom in numbers caused the club to call him back up where he played far more comfortably and consistently than he did at the beginning of the year. He was trusted more often and was an effective slasher and offensive playmaker for the team. He converts on around 70% of his attempts around the rim and it’s very easy to see how he does it, he finishes with more physicality than his leaner frame might suggest and he gets a lot of hang time when in the air. His long arms allow him to get that extra reach around defenders for tough lays. He went from around 6’6” to 6’8” and has a 7’3” wingspan, he has that elite size that teams around the league have been looking for. We have seen players with similar measurements translate really well at the next level numerous times. He’s definitely an NBA athlete that can make an impact as an efficient finisher right away. He is also very skilled when driving to the rim. He creates his own lanes for baskets by moving around the perimeter well, even off of the ball, and coming in for snake cuts. His movements are very slithery, he can get past players that are a lot larger than him with ease. He works well when driving in both transition and half-court settings which isn’t something you see very often in players his age. If he’s able to put on muscle he could take another leap in terms of scoring around the rim. Being able to bully players a bit more would do wonders when it comes to expanding his offensive arsenal. His handle can look a little loose but he has great body control in the air. His ball skills are not the key to his shot creation, he has a strong feel for getting to his spots and has an understanding for shot selection. His shooting isn’t great but it has improved over time. He’s shown touch in his catch and shoot attempts and he shoots a respectable split from the free throw line, both of which are indicators of shooting upside going forward. Gaining more confidence in his spacing could help to further unlock the other aspects of his game. He has the potential to be a real three-level scorer but he’s going to need a lot of patience and time before he gets there. He has some solid feel passing the ball. He will have a possession here or there where he hangs onto the ball too long because he’s looking to score but I wouldn’t describe him as a ball hog. Defensively he’s pretty raw but his physical tools are very appealing. He can reach around to poke at the ball and once he's able to get a steal to start a fast break it’s an instant basket. He keeps up well with his assignment but can get shaken up. He’s a little too fidgety and skirts around too much, this makes it so that he’s susceptible to pump fakes and complex dribble moves. Working with coaches on defensive IQ will be crucial. He has off-ball lapses that will have him targeted. In the U21 league, he wasn’t attacked by defenses but this was due to overall weak competition and defensive talent on the floor. I'm afraid that he could be a net negative if his offense doesn’t translate right away which will make it difficult for most teams in the league to justify him being on the floor, earning play time. He needs to go to a team that has the patience to let him develop while letting him get some run. He has all the physical attributes of a star player but he hasn’t had experience against high-level talent. If a team capitalizes on the flashes and works with him he could be really special.

Bilal Coulibaly has had a great season out in France. He is an upside athlete with great physical tools. He's got good bounce with speed and above the rim ability. His game is raw but he's got great potential. His ball handling and driving ability is a work in progress. His outside scoring isn't great but he can hit the 3 if needer. His mechanics need to be sped up and overall more consistent. He's a versatile and disruptive defender who constantly applies pressure on ball handlers and disrupts passing lanes. He always puts great effort on that end.

Only 18.9 years old at the draft; one of the youngest players and one of the highest ceilings in the draft. Lengthy athlete with developing offensive game. Nimble on his feet; easy euro-steps around defenders going to the rim. Good shooting stroke, but is mainly a catch-shoot/slasher guy right now. The athleticism and activity on defense is there. Often gets offensive rebounds over larger grounded bigs. Is an active defender who knows how to use his tools to deflect lazy passes or knock lose lackadaisical ball handlers. Has shown flashes of more ball handling and good playmaking off the dribble. Tremendous speed in the open court. A transition monster due to defensive playmaking ability and speed. High ceiling due to length, athleticism, and iq.