Bilal Coulibaly is likely to miss multiple weeks with an oblique strain, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.
Robbins notes that the Wizards have yet to set a timeline for the injury, but Varun Shankar of Post Sports notes (via Twitter) that while timelines can vary for oblique strains, an absence of multiple weeks should be expected.
Coulibaly suffered the injury during Tuesday’s game against the Sixers, playing about nine more minutes after the injury occurred.
He has struggled to stay healthy this season, missing eight of the team’s 20 games. He missed the start of the season while recovering from a torn ligament in his thumb and a subsequent four games with a left calf contusion.
He has struggled with his offense since returning to play, averaging 8.8 points on .374/.268/.771 shooting splits. Robbins notes that Coulibaly’s defense has been massive for the Wizards, who are the 30th-ranked defense and struggle to put defenders on the floor around Alex Sarr, who is also currently injured with an adductor strain.
Realistically it wont matter, Keefe will continue to have terrible subs and rotations to ensure they lose, which is the command handed down from the front office. If they wanted to promote some exciting basketball they will trade McCollum, not sure you can get much for Middleton. And with Kispert injured as well its hard to see any value for him. CJ and Middleton are averaging 29.7 and 25.9 minutes a game. What help is veteran leadership if you’re going to be losing this much? If you are going to be losing like this, there has to be some coaching leadership. And there really doesn’t seem to be any of that from what I can tell.
Ditch the veterans that aren’t going to be around as soon as possible. See what you have by giving starter level minutes to the likes of Riley, Whitmore and once he’s back Tre. I love Bilal’s defense but he’s regressed, I love Bub’s 3 point shooting and ability to get the assisst but he too has regressed overall. At some point the organization has to say, “we’re done tanking.” is it after this season? For my part I hope its sooner as this team is being coached to lose from what I can tell, key players have taken steps back in their development and the ones who have improved seem to have done so individually in the offseason apart from the organization.