Washington Wizards Rookie Bilal Coulibaly 'Wasn't Scared of the Moment'
The connotations of the word "lose" are negative but with a season like this for the Washington Wizards, it's important to highlight bright spots.
One of those bright spots has been Wizards rookie guard Bilal Coulibaly.
READ MORE: Wizards Rookie Makes History in Debut
He had 12 points on 71.4 percent shooting including two three-pointers and also two steals in Washington's loss to a very good Milwaukee Bucks team.
Coulibaly has been growing every game and he is drawing some of the toughest defensive assignments in the NBA every night.
So far, the 6'8" forward had seen the likes of the Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
He even got a shot at Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic for two minutes where he held him to five points on 25 percent shooting including a block.
On Monday night against the Bucks, Coulibaly drew almost six minutes of defending All-Star guard Damian Lillard.
That is a tall task for a 19-year-old and shows the trust he has from his teammates and Wizards Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr.
Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) dunks the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second quarter at Capital One Arena.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Coulibaly held his own against Lillard also, continuously picking him up for 94-feet and forcing a turnover.
"He played extremely hard," Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Coulibaly after being asked if he had advice for him by Monumental Sports Network Content Producer Bijan Todd. "He was guarding Dame; he wasn't scared of the moment...the sky is going to be the limit for him."
Only six players have matched up with Lillard for more than 30 partial possessions in a game, Coulibaly is the only one to allow a single field goal attempt.
That shot was a made three-pointer off a screen with 5:06 left in the first quarter.
"He competed," Lillard said about the rookie when Todd asked about his defense. "Young players a lot of times you're able to trick them... they have a hard time finding their way and I thought he was pretty solid out there; I think he has a chance to be a really good player."
That is extremely high praise from a guy like Lillard who is definitely known as a guy who will tell you how he feels and doesn't sugarcoat anything.
Considering Washington is going to lose a lot this year, seeing a rookie perform like this is a sight for sore eyes for many fans.
He is going to have growing pains but as Coulibaly continues to learn and grow, excitement will build with the thought of him being a star player and the future of this franchise.
You can follow Gage Sheets on X @SheetsG23
Follow Inside The Wizards on Facebook
Follow Inside The Wizards on X
Keep up with all Washington Wizards news on the SI.com Washington Wizards team page
