Sidy Cissoko: 6’6.5” 224 lbs 6’9.75” wingspan 19.2 years old G League Ignite 11.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1 bpg, 1.1 spg, 43.6% fg%, 31.4% 3%, 64.3% ft%

Overview: Sidy Cissoko is a very good athlete who belonged, and at times, excelled in a professional league as an 18 year old. Cissoko played his best at the point guard, taking an enlarged role with Scoot Henderson out at times late in the year. Cissoko has flaws shooting the ball but is super strong and uses it to drive to the rim and be a tremendous defender on the perimeter. Cissoko could be a jumbo creator in the NBA if given the chance which helps his ceiling but more than likely will be a wing defender that needs to improve his shot to raise his floor and ceiling. Cissoko is one of the best athletes in a very athletic class who has proven he belongs in professional basketball at a young age, playing various roles.

Strengths: Good size and great strength Tree trunk legs Could be a big point guard Excellent slasher Experience running pick and roll Defensive potential is very high Gets in passing lanes. Good agility near the rim (eurosteps and step throughs) Sees the floor well and is unselfish. Attacks the rim dynamically.

Weaknesses: Shot very poorly in pro day at NBA combine. Shooting inconsistency in G league. Will have to improve handle if he wants to play point guard. Shot only 23% on off bounce jump shots Lacks intermediate game.

• Cissoko was born in Saint-Maurice, France.

• Height w/o shoes: 6'5.5"

• Wingspan: 6'9.75'

• Max vertical: 35.5"

• The NBA G League is the NBA's minor league basketball organization.

• * Worked out for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Bio: G League Ignite, April 2, 2004 (19), 6’5.5”, 223.8 lb, Shooting Guard

Stats:

Strengths:

• Explosive athlete

• Smart screener

• Neat playmaker

• Can play on and off ball

Weaknesses:

• Ok-ish shooter, with sketchy mechanics

• Still adjusting to the game

• Can play out of control

Rundown:

Sidy is low key one of the most explosive athletes in recent memory. His dunks don’t always work, but he has attempted some crazy stuff. He’s a big guard with the talent and ability to play on and off ball. One of the funkiest guys in the draft. His shooting is a huge concern. The mechanics are a bit weird, and his misses are way off the mark most of the time. The man needs to refine his game quite a bit, but his potential is exciting.

Shades of: Delon Wright

OFFENSE Cissoko is an exceptional playmaker for his 6’8” size. He has excelled as a secondary playmaker, and NBA teams should be intrigued by his abilities to create plays for others as well as himself. He is adept as a standstill passer, and he is even more impressive as a creator for others off the dribble. He already reads the floor at a very high level for a wing issoko’s 34.1% mark from deep is decent enough—especially since he’s putting up 3.7 three-point attempts per game—but his 58.5% mark from the charity stripe (admittedly on a tiny sample size) speaks to larger concerns REGARDING HIS SHOOTING TOUCH

DEFENSE On the defensive end, Cissoko can be a bit of a gambler—however, those gambles often pay off. Cissoko is averaging just under a steal and a block per game His defensive over-aggressiveness, however, might actually be a larger concern. Cissoko has racked up an astonishing 45 fouls in his first 12 games for the Ignite.

Sidy Cissoko- G League Ignite (SF) Age:19.2yrs 6”7 220 (Justise Winslow/ Jimmy Butler)

Cissoko is essentially a big guard as he has excellent passing vision and instincts finding players who most players would not find. He has excellent defensive ability with his combination of size and athleticism. He scores most of his points driving to the basket with power. He has shooting inconsistencies which is going to have to be his main focus for improvement.

(28gs 29.3mpg)(12.8ppg, 2.8rb, 3.5ast, 45.7fg%, 30.4 3pt% 3.64 3pa)

6'7" | Wing | GLeague Ignite & France

Cissoko is a big guard with a strong base and quick feet. He consistently gets deflections and blocks on defense with his activity and length. Good IQ allows him to be in position to defend well off-ball. While his defensive potential is high (can guard 1-4), he is also known to be one of the better playmakers on a team that includes potential #2 overall pick, Scoot Henderson. He regularly makes not only the extra pass but also higher difficulty bounce passes off back cuts or off dribble drives. He is athletic enough to be able to finish contested layups, but he can improve there. Has shown good touch off mid-range pull-ups or floaters, since he doesn't have the great first step to beat his defender all the way to the basket. Uses good footwork in the low post, though he can be inefficient, especially against bigger defenders. Good-looking shooting stroke. Has 3-D catch-and-shoot potential. While he is only shooting 32% from 3-point in 13 games (28 mpg as of 1/24/23), his 74% FT% and 66.6% TS% show that he can improve at the next level.

Needs to improve lower body and core strength to unlock more burst and athleticism to be able to finish through contact. His activity on defense and shooting potential is enough for NBA teams to value what he brings, and he has enough tools to be a key role player somewhere.

We are now at the point of taking fliers on guys that either need technical refinement or years of developing for a few years on either end. We get a good blend of both with Sidy Cissoko. He immediately popped when watching his fast break buckets, where his finishing ability at the basket was excellent. He shot 62.4% on field goals within five feet of the basket (on 117 attempts) and 60% on field goals that are described as "at the basket." A big reason for that was because he knew how to be physical and attack the nearest defender using his 6'7", 224 pound frame. He seemed to be a composed finisher with good contact balance and some solid touch. His jumper seems smooth, and I can't really explain his hot shooting start falling off as much as it did (only shooting 30% from three on the season). Maybe where his feet are at when he shoots, that would be the only thing I would change, but it is a smooth looking jumper that he should continue to try and use. He has capabilities of splitting defenders and playing in space, but to do that consistently, he'll need to tighten his handle a substantial amount; it was often high and easy to pluck away. That was where a most of his 1.9 turnovers per game came from, not from his passing. As good touch as he has around the basket, it is better as a passer. His outlet passes down the court and his tight window passes were always on point, and was arguably the best passer on the G-League Ignite team this past season. He seems to have a good enough frame to be something as a point of attack defender, but there was not enough evidence for me to say he will be that. I do like his off-ball activity, disrupting off-ball screens and being very good as a rotator, helping on drives a lot and with a lot of success. He seems to be an adequate defender, but that is not his strength. Sidy Cissoko is a great offensive player that needs refinement in his jump shot. If that never develops, he could be more than serviceable, and if it does, he is a $20 million a year player.

• Player Comparison: Shades of Kyle Anderson and Lu Dort

• Projected Draft Position: Picks 30-40

• Best Fits: Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies

Role: Physical Wing

• physical player that competes on both ends of the floor

• is pretty good at driving to the rim

• plays sound defense (projects to be an above average defender)

• not the best 3pt shooter or pull up shooter

• still a little unpolished as a player (to be expected at his age though)

Player Comparison: (Shades of) Rui Hachimura (not quite as good of a shooter)