On his first draft night for the Washington Wizards, general manager Will Dawkins paid a couple second round picks to move up one spot and select French teenager Bilal Coulibaly. Moving up is a bold move that communicates the team’s belief in the youngster’s talent. The Wizards are investing in the hope that he’s a future cornerstone of a championship-level team.
As regular readers may remember, Coulibaly popped high in YODA, my draft analysis tool. He rated like a top five pick in nearly any draft, and I liked Dawkins’ willingness to make sure he got him.