Position: SG/SF

Team: G League Ignite, USA

Height: 201 cm / 6’7″

Weight: 91 kg / 200 lbs

Wingspan: 208 cm / 6′ 9.75”

Born: April 2, 2004

Even though he is one of the younger players in the draft pool, Sidy Cissoko has already experienced various basketball contexts with varying responsibilities during his young career. After joining the youth ranks of Baskonia, Cissoko got to train with the first team while receiving major high usage minutes at the LEB Gold level for Iraurgi SB. Moreover, he was a meaningful contributor to the French U18 national team at the European Challengers 2021 and the European Championship 2022. Thanks to his play, the Frenchman drew transatlantic interest and ultimately chose to join the G League Ignite, becoming the first European-born player in the program. Due to the high talent on the Ignite roster (most notably Scoot Henderson), Cissoko had to fill a role in which he mostly operated off the ball. However, Cissoko quickly became acclimatized and found ways to impact the game without the basketball in his hands. Due to the role versatility and the notable improvements he has displayed at each stop of his career, Cissoko is widely regarded to be a likely selection in the late first or early second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.

STATS

  • Averages:

28 games, 29:18 min, 12.8 pts, 2.8 reb (0.8 off reb), 3.6 ast, 1.1 stl, 1.0 blk (45.7 % FG%, 30.4 % 3P%, 64.5 % FT%)

  • Per40:

17.5 pts, 3.9 reb (1.1 off reb), 5.0 ast, 1.6 stl, 1.4 blk

  • Advanced Stats:

105.0 ORTG, 123.0 DRTG, 60.1 % TS%, 3.1 OREB%, 7.5 DREB%, 5.3 REB%, 17.5 AST%, 2.0 STL%, 3.2 BLK%

STRENGTHS

  • Well developed frame and strength paired with large wingspan are the main intriguing factors of his profile, regularly wins with strength at the G League level
  • Improved spot-up shooter, consistent follow-through
  • Height and strength advantage open up passing windows for him, makes good use of his physical traits with timely kickouts
  • Moves well around off-ball (lock and trail) and on-ball screens, stays attached to his assignment thanks to footwork
  • Does a nice job as the low man covering space and being alert “trapping the box”
  • Defends well with his chest and can absorb contact, frame allows him to get back in the picture on dribble penetration and contain post-ups
  • Good hand-eye coordination on blocks and deflections, able to stop the break

IMPROVEMENT AREAS

  • Has to work on his shooting consistency (issues might be connected to valgus collapse), streaky results across games, can be hesitant to let it fly
  • Tends to prefer two-foot leaps in the halfcourt, could use his strides in a larger variety to get better finishing opportunities and avoid charges, subpar spatial reasoning around the basket
  • Handle is too high and loose (root issue of a large chunk of his unforced errors)
  • Could do a better job setting up his cuts and off-ball screens to get in the lane (has the prerequisites to succeed in this area at the next level)
  • Can give up favorable driving angles on the perimeter due to suboptimal positioning, sometimes late to close out appropriately
  • Too frequently becomes a victim of head, body and pump fakes

OUTLOOK

In the public discourse, it often appears that physical strength seems to be an underappreciated element of the term “athleticism”, even though it can be a key factor for potential versatility, particularly in the NBA. Especially young players, who can hold their ground against NBA athletes can benefit from the increased margin of error that their frame gives them on both ends of the floor while making their transition to the league. For a player who turned 19 just a couple months ago, Cissoko has an intriguing physical profile and brings the tools to turn into a multi-faceted defender at the next level, even though he has to be more consistent with his rotations and reads. If he hears his name called during the NBA Draft, the particular franchise that is making the call would most likely buy into the development curve of Cissoko instead of his status quo, believing that he can continue his impressive upward trajectory. On the offensive end, a lot will depend on his capability to become a more reliable floor spacer. However, since his shooting motion is relatively sound, NBA teams should have the resources available to improve the energy transfer of his lower body and get his three-point shooting to at least league-average. A driving factor of his upside on offense will be his capability to improve his ball handling. If he can get to a level where his handle becomes a tool to reliably maintain/ create advantages, Cissoko could unlock his potential as a secondary initiator in the pick and roll. Otherwise, he could also turn into a viable short roll option with his combination of passing and size.