Wizards Lose Defensive Anchor Bilal Coulibaly to Oblique Strain Amid Mounting Injuries
The Washington Wizards’ defense, already hanging by a thread this season, just took another hit. Third-year wing Bilal Coulibaly - the team’s top perimeter defender and one of the few bright spots on that end of the floor - will be sidelined for multiple weeks with a right oblique strain.
Coulibaly went down early in the third quarter of Tuesday night’s game in Philadelphia. It was a quiet moment that turned out to be a loud loss.
He tried to push through the discomfort for about eight more minutes, but by the time he checked out with 3:44 left in the third, the Wizards were trailing 87-67. And just like that, Washington’s most reliable defensive stopper was out of the picture.
It’s a tough blow for a young player who’s already had a stop-and-start season. Coulibaly missed eight of the team’s first 20 games, mostly due to injuries dating back to the offseason.
He tore a ligament in his right thumb while playing for France in EuroBasket and needed surgery in September. That delayed his season debut until October 30.
Then, on November 5, he took a kick to the left calf, resulting in a contusion that cost him four more games.
Despite the setbacks, Coulibaly has made a real impact when he’s been on the floor. Averaging 27.2 minutes per game, he’s putting up 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds - but those numbers don’t tell the full story.
His defensive presence has been critical, especially for a team that ranks dead last in the NBA in points allowed per possession. Just this past Monday, Coulibaly’s defense on Giannis Antetokounmpo played a major role in the Wizards’ surprise 129-126 win over the Bucks - arguably their best performance of the season.
Now, the Wizards will have to find a way to get stops without him, and that won’t be easy. The injury report is already crowded. Rookie Tre Johnson is nursing a strained left hip flexor, Corey Kispert is dealing with a fracture in the tip of his right thumb, and starting center Alex Sarr is set to miss his third straight game on Thursday with a right adductor strain.
With Coulibaly out, the Wizards will likely lean more on Justin Champagnie, Cam Whitmore, and rookie Will Riley to fill the gap on the wing. None of them bring Coulibaly’s defensive chops, but they’ll have to step up in a big way if Washington hopes to stay competitive - or at least avoid falling further behind in a season that’s already been a grind.
For Coulibaly, it’s another frustrating chapter in a year that’s been more about recovery than rhythm. For the Wizards, it’s a reminder of just how thin the margin is when your best defender can’t stay on the court.