Sidy Cissoko: The Rising French Talent Making Waves in the NBA

If Victor Wembanyama attracts all the lights on the San Antonio side, another Frenchman will also wear a black and white tunic this season in Texas: Sidy Cissoko. His journey, what expectations for his arrival in the NBA, it’s time for a little focus.

Sidy Cissoko, the most international of the Frenchys

Born in Saint-Maurice (Val-de-Marne) on April 2, 2004, Sidy Cissoko can be considered one of the great promises for the future of French basketball. However, the player remains relatively little known in France, unlike his classmates such as Victor Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly in particular.

The reason is undoubtedly found in Cissoko’s career choices. Unlike other young French people who mostly chose to join the training centers of local clubs, he decided to take off. Goodbye to Île-de-France and Val-de-Marne, goodbye to France itself, and welcome to the Spanish Basque Country. Sidy Cissoko joins the training center of Saski Baskonia, a good big club used to playing leading roles on the other side of the Pyrenees.

The challenge is significant, especially for a kid of only 14 years old who is discovering both a new country and a new language. Cissoko made his place with the young people before finally being thrown into the deep end at 17 years old. He only made a brief appearance in the first division (30 seconds on the floor) but it gave him a taste of professional basketball. Too soft for the first team, he was logically sent to the reserve team of Baskonia, Iraurgi, which plays in the second division. An encouraging first experience for the leader, who is empowered and gains confidence.

However, it is written that the future of Sidy Cissoko is not written in Spain. The young Frenchman dreams of the United States and he decides to take the plunge in 2022, after just one full season in his legs. The G League Ignite program is very recent but it offers a good immersion in US basketball and it also allows you to rub shoulders with some of the greatest talents to come to the NBA (like a certain Scoot Henderson for example). Sidy Cissoko tries his luck and at the same time becomes the first European to join the program. Cissoko has found his jump seat which should lead him to the NBA. Bingo, the Spurs selected him a year later with their 44th choice. The bet paid off.

Sidy Cissoko and Victor Wembanyama, a relationship that goes back a long way

Cissoko at the Spurs is the promise of a return of the Frenchman to the official language in San Antonio. After Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and even Nando de Colo in the past, two new French people join the ranks of the spurs with the hope of putting them back on the roof of the NBA. Sidy Cissoko of course but especially Victor Wembanyama. The two men will not have the same responsibilities this season nor the same playing time but they can take advantage of their common past to support each other.

At the time of his arrival at Spurs, Cissoko recalled that he had faced Wemby on numerous occasions when he was still in the youth sections in Île-de-France. Comments reported by Yann Ohnona of the newspaper l’Equipe.

“We have always been in rivalry since U9/U10 and up to U13. He was with Hauts-de-Seine (92) and I was with 91. […] If someone had told me that I would be teammates with Victor in the NBA, I don’t think anyone would have believed it. It’s a pleasure, really. »

What to expect from him for his NBA debut?

This is a bit of a big question as we begin this year in the Big League. At only 19 years old, Sidy Cissoko is not intended to become a starter from the outset. The places on the outside at Spurs are well locked for the moment and Sidy will need time to get into the rhythm, get used to a new environment and find your feet. Positive point, he had a whole year to get used to life with Uncle Sam, communication-wise it shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.

Regarding his level, Cissoko is a bit of a jack of all trades without being a real specialist. His big strength for his debut in the NBA is his defensive solidity. He has the potential to be an excellent defender, both in reading the game, thanks to his athletic qualities and thanks to his versatility since he can cover positions 1, 2 and 3.

Offensively, Cissoko is someone who can be trusted to pump things up. He has already had responsibilities as a playmaker, he can participate in creation without problem. In terms of scoring, you will undoubtedly have to be patient and give him time to progress in shooting, especially at long distance. He still proved in the G League that he could contribute offensively, averaging around 12 points over the season. There’s potential, there’s versatility but we need to polish it all up a little to really hope to see Cissoko reach his best level. This is good, the Spurs will give him time to learn at his own pace and without pressure. With the Spurs playing school to train his ranges and fit the Gregg Popovich mold, he could hardly find a better place to land.

2023-09-25 13:36:00
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