With French wing Bilal Coulibaly sustained a significant thumb injury at EuroBasket 2025, the Washington Wizards have been put in a tough position. Heading into a crucial make-or-break season, the Wizards won’t get their next glimpse of the defensive star until after the start of 2025-26. Luckily for the organization, there are plenty of options emerging from the forward positions. Two players in particular could use the time that Coulibaly’s out to showcase their growth and secure extra minutes.
Wizards Pair Could Benefit From Bilal Coulibaly Injury
As previously mentioned, Washington has an incredible amount of depth at forward.
With Coulibaly projected to be out for 6-8 weeks, per RG’s Grant Afseth, 2024 first-round pick Kyshawn George and 2025 first-round pick Will Riley could be provided with an increase in playing time. To be clear, they’re both in different spots on the depth chart as George is already in the second unit and Riley’s projected to be outside of the rotation. Nevertheless, they stand the most to gain.
They don’t have too much time but more than enough put on a show.
That being said, there are two really important periods these players should lock in on. The first is Wizards training camp, which will start towards the end of September. Next is the 2025-26 NBA preseason, which starts right at the beginning of October. Both of these periods are crucial, as they will directly translate to playing time during the season.
Kyshawn George
George arguably deserves the starting spot heading into the year after his outstanding showing in this year’s FIBA’s AmeriCup. Still, a stellar training camp and solid preseason could secure his promotion. Notably, George and Coulibaly have similar games, but George is more polished at the offensive end. Most notably, he shoots better from 3 while displaying better playmaking ability than Coulibaly as well.
Thus, George’s all-around play fits with the starting lineup slightly better than Coulibaly’s cut-and-dry attack. Indeed, he could easily become Washington’s secondary playmaker in the starting unit. After trading 2022 NBA champion Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason, they lost their lead ball-handler and facilitator. George could help fill that void, along with promising point guard Bub Carrington.
Regardless of his role though, George will be firmly in Washington’s lineup.
Will Riley
As a popular draft prospect picked up late in the first round, Riley is entering his rookie year in much the same way that George did. However, George had ample opportunity to play and improve, and Riley will be in a much different boat. Entering a crowded locker room, he won’t have the same cushion as George when mistakes arise.
That being said, Riley must show out in training camp. To that point, his opportunities in the preseason could be limited given that the Wizards can use those games as a dress rehearsal for the regular season. He’ll certainly get to play, even if Coulibaly is healthy. However, amid a roster overhaul, the Wizards are like a ball of clay. They’ll need to try all sorts of different lineups and rotations to figure out what works, possibly pushing him aside in the process.
The Last Word
George and Riley both should get plenty of opportunities to score additional minutes for the Wizards with Coulibaly hurt. However, there are other noteworthy forwards who could benefit from Coulibaly’s injury. One such player is Cam Whitmore, whom the Wizards acquired from the Houston Rockets in the summer. An athletic scorer, he would be next in line, with the chance to completely revive his career.
In any case, though Coulibaly will be back soon, this could prove to be the last straw for him in D.C. if others develop.
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