DNHQ Draft Tourney Round 2. Colby Jones (12) vs Bilal Coulibaly (13)

all around guy vs young French prodigy

Overall results and how we chose the field at 2023 Dub Nation HQ Draft Tournament. Past Draft Tourneys archived here.

Our Draft Tournament

Yes, we are still having our FOURTH annual DNHQ Draft Tournament, where Dub Nation gets to vote on whom the Warriors should draft via head to head showdowns.

The draft will happen on Jun 22 2023, 5pm.

If the Warriors end up trading the pick, I’ll end the draft tournament early.

Round 1 Results

• G G Jackson (4) vs Bilal Coulibaly (13)

  • G G Jackson 3%

  • Bilal Coulibaly 97%

  • Fortune might have accidentally shafted Jackson by matching him against a similar high risk young player who seems a little more dependable and a lot more stashable abroad to develop. DNHQ really did not like GG’s youthful run-ins with his coaches and immature defense. Coulibaly continues to throw down highlights in the French pro leagues.

  • When I set the field, Coulibaly was not generally rated as worth drafting at #19 but I added him as a wild card. Times change, and his stock is going through the roof. Now there are many rumors that he has a guarantee to be taken in the lottery. Nonetheless, we will keep him in our Tourney as an exercise in figuring out what we value for the Warriors.

• Brice Sensabaugh (5) vs Colby Jones (12)

  • Brice Sensabaugh 15%

  • Colby Jones 85%

  • Wooof, DNHQ is in a two-way mood this year. Anyone with a whiff of bad defense gets extra scrutiny and anyone with That Dog Within on defense gets extra love.

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Colby Jones | 6-6 wing | 21 years old | Xavier

No Ceilings:

I’m willing to push all of my poker chips into the middle of the table for Colby Jones. It’s not just that I’m personally a big fan of Jones’s game. But I believe that there’s a chance Jones could be a leading candidate for the “who goes much earlier than expected?” While there have been plenty of mock drafts out there on the web that have mocked Jones in the 20-30 range, I would be surprised if he goes much earlier.

Colby is a player that should have the excitement of plenty of front offices. Jones has the physicality and tools to be an impactful presence on the court. One of the biggest knocks on Colby coming into the 2022-23 season was the fact that he needed to become a more consistent outside shooter. After shooting 29.2% from three-point range as a sophomore, Jones shot 37.8% from three this season.

The talented junior stands out as one of the smartest players on the court when it comes to his feel for the game. Jones ranked in the 91st percentile when it came to catch-and-shoot offense, posting an impressive 63.8 eFG%.

Players like Colby Jones don’t have NBA fans foaming at the mouth before the night of the draft. That’s until your team is on the lock and decides to turn in their card with his name on it. Then, you find yourself pumped out of your mind realizing you drafted this two-way guard that projects to be an NBA player for a LONG time.

So…why not get excited about him right now?

O’Connor:

SHADES OF Malcolm Brogdon

• Float Game

• Pull-up Threat

• Catch-and-shoot Threat

• Got That Dog in Him

PLUSES

• Soft touch on layups, floaters, and post hooks. Though his shooting numbers have been slow to develop, these are positive indicators of improvement. He’s ready to contribute attacking closeouts, rumbling toward the rim off handoffs, or running some pick-and-rolls.

• Intelligent player within a team concept. He keeps the ball moving, relocates to get himself open, and makes attentive cuts to the basket.

• Patient ball handler who doesn’t get overly sped up; does a good job of using his large frame to create space and absorb contact, compensating for his lack of elite athleticism. He’s also a sound playmaker capable of slinging the ball around the court with either hand.

• Relentless defender who doesn’t let his offense dictate his effort. He flourishes dodging screens to stick to opponents, chasing down every rebounding opportunity, and thriving as a roamer off the ball. He doesn’t back down no matter how often he gets hit in the face—which seemingly happens every game.

MINUSES

• Lacks a reliable pull-up jumper.

• Unproven spot-up shooter who made under 70 percent of his free throws in his three-year college career, and only 30.3 percent of his 3s over his first two seasons.

Vecenie:

The Scout: Jones does a lot of things well. He averaged 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. He shot over 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3, including 42 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s. He can operate in ball screens, and he can lead the break as a distributor. On top of that, Jones is also a sharp defensive player who rotates well, can guard one through three on the ball and actually makes impact plays as a shot blocker and transition starter in passing lanes. Jones isn’t the best athlete on the planet, and that will play a role in where he’s picked. But Jones’ game profiles really well toward playing a solid NBA role.

Bonus stats hype for Jones:

https://twitter.com/coreytulaba/status/1660009318974980098?s=61&t=P_FoYb59qpl6sz-fj5Z51g

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Bilal Coulibaly, 18, 6-6 SG/SF, Metropolitans 92

Sports Illustrated:

Prospect Profile

Coulibaly has long been known in scouting circles as one of the best European prospects in his age group. While he hadn’t played much with the senior team of Metropolitans 92 early in the season, he continued to improve and got his shot later on. As it relates to exposure, he had the luxury of NBA scouting departments being in town to watch Victor Wembanyama but also getting a glance at Coulibaly as well in these contests. With two-way potential and fantastic wing size, it makes sense why he’s a future NBA talent.

On the offensive end, he’s flashed the upside of being a guy who can lead team in scoring. He’s a smooth wing who is able to self-create, get to the rim and finish through contact at a good rate. It’s still early in his development and Coulibaly has very little high-level experience, but the flashes certainly make him a player worth tracking down for future drafts.

His natural feel for the game is impressive, especially at his age. He's also a very good athlete that uses his length and pop well.

On the flip side, he’s also showcased some impressive defensive tools that should translate to the NBA game. He's got a long way to go from a physical standpoint, but he should naturally get bigger and stronger as the years go on.

After being great in the U21 league, Coulibaly made the most of his senior team reps which has catapulted him into first-round conversations. It’s unclear whether he will end up staying in the draft pool to take the leap in the 2023 NBA Draft or wait another year, but there’s no question Coulibaly has the talent.

Hollinger:

17. There’s a good chance Wembanyama won’t be the only player from the French league taken in the first round. His teammate, Coulibaly, came on late in the year, joining the main club after spending half a season destroying the French “Espoirs” junior league. U.S.-based scouts were upset when Coulibaly hardly played during the team’s two-game tour of Las Vegas in October, but his late-season playing time has made up for lost time.

Coulibaly still struggles with feel and shooting; he’s definitely a work in progress. However, he’s hit 60 percent on 2s in the French league since his call-up with a high free-throw rate, he’s rebounded over 10 percent of missed shots and has shown obvious NBA-caliber athleticism, especially in transition.

His mid-2004 birthdate also puts time on the side of the team drafting him, perhaps even to keep him in France another year. He’s not exactly crushing the league right now, but he’s made enough eye-opening impact plays to believe in him at the NBA level as a wing energy guy at the very least — and possibly as much more a few years down the road.

NBA Draft: Former NBA Scout Evaluates Bilal Coulibaly

An evaluation of French wing Bilal Coulibaly from the viewpoint of a former NBA scout.

After evaluating 2023 NBA Draft prospect Bilal Coulibaly of France, Jason Filippi shared his evaluation and scouting report with Draft Digest Pro.

Team: Levallois-Boulogne Metropolitans (France) | Position: Guard/Forward | Class: International

Height: 6-6 | Weight: 230

Potential NBA Roles: Defender, Slasher, 3-and-D

Comparisons: Keldon Johnson

Draft Projection: late first – early second round

Strengths:

• Length and athleticism and long arms

• Defensive versatility – plays bigger than size

• Athletic finisher at the rim

• Open court skills

Concerns:

• Needs to get stronger physically

• May lack NBA three-point shooting range – slow release on shot

• Needs to tighten his handle – he can be careless with the ball

Questions:

• Can he create his own shot at the NBA level?

• Can he develop a better pull-up game?

Bottom Line:

Bilal Coulibaly is the one international prospect who has increased his draft stock the most this past season. He has not been the best player on any of his teams in the past. Still, everything started to come together last summer when he had a breakout performance at European U18 Championships. Coulibaly is a late bloomer, and I think he still has plenty of upside. He improved a lot throughout the season. He is much more confident and assertive after looking to defer to others so much in the past. Additionally, he seems to look to score much more now.

After tearing it up at the junior level early in the season, Coulibaly suddenly started to get regular minutes with the pro team in the second half of the season and made the most of the opportunity. And being a teammate of Victor Wembanyama obviously helped him gain extra exposure.

Coulibaly also appears to have grown another inch this season and has a long frame, possessing an impressive 7-foot-2 wingspan. Coulibaly's frame has begun to fill out as well. He is an excellent quick-twitch athlete and explosive leaper.

His offensive game is still a work in progress, but he has significantly improved this season. In general, he is more of a slasher than a shooter. At the pro level, Coulibaly has not shown much off the dribble. Still, he was an effective 1-on-1 player at the junior level, and there is no reason this should not translate to the pro level. He is a good slasher who likes to drive baseline. He elevates well and can make contested shots. He also showed the ability to post up smaller guards at the youth level but not as much at the pro level thus far.

Coulibaly moves well without the ball and is an athletic finisher at the rim off cuts to the basket. He has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and is a good system player. He is an opportunistic scorer and gets many points in the game's flow. He is an outstanding open-court player who is hard to stop in transition and can go the length of the court to score. Coulibaly is a team player. He's very unselfish and defers too much to others at times. He is willing to make an extra pass and feeds the post well. He can drive and dump the ball off to big men cutting to the basket.

He definitely needs to improve his perimeter shooting. At the junior level, he would often pass up on open three-point shots and try to drive to the basket instead. His three-point shooting is erratic, and he may need time to adapt to the deeper NBA three-point line. He is primarily a spot-up shooter from long-range and has a pretty slow release. He needs to develop a better pull-up game. Despite barely shooting 30% from three-point range at the junior level, he has shot the ball much better at the pro level, shooting 50% on limited volume from three. Coulibaly has shown that he has the potential to become a reliable long-range shooter and has displayed confidence shooting the corner three.

Routinely crashing the offensive glass, Coulibaly swoops in to snatch the ball away from opposing big men to score on putbacks. I have seen him throw down some impressive tip-in dunks too.

Coulibaly possesses good defensive abilities that should translate well to the pro level. He is a versatile defender who can help pressure the ball out on the perimeter, switch, and hold position against larger players. He deflects a lot of passes and can be pretty disruptive. He contests shots aggressively and is a good shot blocker for a wing player, and he seems to have a high motor in general.

Bilal Coulibaly is still raw, but he is a late bloomer with considerable margins for improvement. He needs to get stronger and work on his perimeter shot. Still, I like his potential, and I think he perfectly fits the mold of the prototypical 3&D wing player for the NBA level.

O’Connor:

Fast-rising prospect who is luring in teams with his defense and intriguing offensive flashes.

SHADES OF

O.G. Anunoby, Torrey Craig

• On-Ball Defense

• Off-Ball Defense

• Interior Scoring

• Athleticism

PLUSES

• Superb measurements, a long wingspan, and a wide frame give him elite defensive upside. But he also brings grit and a consistent approach, actively contesting hard on closeouts, jumping passing lanes, and flying in to help in the paint as a shot blocker.

• Even at his young age, he’s got the strength to compete at the pro level as a defender who switches across positions.

• Explosive at-rim finisher who takes long strides to the basket and needs little space to elevate for loud dunks.

• He’s best as a straight-line driver and displays skill using an occasional change-of-pace move or Euro steps.

• Plays within himself by keeping the ball moving and looking for cutting opportunities. A creative NBA offense could take advantage of his athleticism by using him as a screener to get him going to the basket.

• Improved 3-point shooter off the catch (35.1 percent) and a solid free throw shooter (76.6 percent), both way up from his first season with the Mets 92.

MINUSES

• Raw ball handler who often attacks the paint without a plan, leading to charges or sloppy passes. Early in his career, his team will ask him to stick to simple plays.

• Unproven shooter who’s experienced streaky stretches. He has relatively stiff mechanics as he loads the ball up, so he’ll need to prove that it can translate.

• Defenses don’t have to worry about him taking jumpers off the dribble, as he lacks fluidity and quickness going from his dribble into his shot.

Your Vote

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