SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs seem to find quality players no matter where they're drafting, and they're hoping they struck gold with second-round selection Sidy Cissoko.
On the surface there's a lot to like about the French 19-year-old, who many talent evaluators believed was worthy of a first-round pick. He's a long, strong wing who brings tough defense and complimentary offensive skills, and that gives him a clear path to eventually becoming a rotational piece.
The deeper you look, the more reasons you'll find to believe that he can reach that level or beyond.
Let's start with the obvious. At the Draft Combine Cissoko stood about 6'6" in socks with a 6'10" wingspan, and weighed in at a beefy 224 pounds. He's fairly quick and has useful burst, and explodes off the floor when the situation calls for it. It's still pretty rare to see teenagers with NBA-ready bodies, but he has all the physical tools necessary to succeed on the wing at the next level.
Cissoko puts all of that length and strength and leaping ability to good use. He's a high flier and authoritative finisher when he gets a lane to the cup, routinely punctuating possessions with hammer dunks over larger and more experienced defenders.
He has the speed to hang with smaller guards and the body to bother bigger wings. More importantly, he has the drive and desire to seek out the other team's best player and pester him, whether he's a point guard or a 7'5" alien.
On a G League Ignite team that focused on development and struggled on defense, Cissoko was consistently the most impactful and engaged defender. Pesky, switchable defense may be the top-level skill that eventually helps him crack the rotation, but the size of his role will depend on how his offensive game takes shape.
Last season for Ignite he averaged 12.8 points, 3.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1 block per game while shooting 45% from the floor, 30% from three and 65% from the stripe.
The three-point shot is serviceable but streaky, and if he can become more consistent it will open up the rest of his game. Most of his triples came off of assists, and in the early stages of his career he'll be expected to shoot off the catch or attack closeouts and get to the basket.
He's at his most dangerous when he's heading to the rim, either on a cut or with a few decisive dribbles. That complimentary style made him a neat fit next to Scoot Henderson as a floor spacer and secondary playmaker, and that's probably his best offensive role as he enters the NBA.
It's a valuable archetype in today's game, and if he develops into that sort of a player San Antonio would be pretty happy with that. But again, there's more to this kid than meets the eye.
Cissoko spent most of his teenage years in Spain, playing with the ball in his hands. He could tighten up his handle a bit, but he shows playmaking flashes that will make you raise your eyebrows and wonder about his potential as a jumbo point guard.
The first thing that jumps out is how cleverly he creates advantages with the ball in his hands. In isolation he'll use well-timed acceleration to turn the corner, or a well-placed shoulder to bully his way inside. He also has the ability to slither between two defenders, changing directions in tight spaces to shoot the gap.
Then there's the matter of what he does when he gets inside. His softer layups still need some more touch, but he's a threat to put anybody under the basket on a poster. Even more impressive is his flair and creativity as a passer. He'll dump it off to a big man with a look-away dime, throw a skip pass across to the opposite corner, or hit a cutter with a slick one-handed bounce pass.
He's one of those "connector" type players who makes the right decision and isn't selfish on the court, and he makes some high-level reads and passes well beyond what's expected for a 19-year-old wing. It highlights his impressive feel for the game, and that will be valuable whatever his role is in the NBA.
There were times this past season when he played like a point guard, and other times when he was more of a floor-spacing wing, and other times when he would set screens and pop or roll like a big man.
Over a five-game stretch in February he caught fire and notched at least 20 points in each game while shooting 14-31 from deep.
- 23 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal
- 24 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
- 22 points, 3 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal
- 22 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 block
- 20 points, 5 assists, 1 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block
The next game he set a season high with 8 assists.
Everything that makes Cissoko an intriguing prospect makes him downright scary in transition, and he should fit right in with this young Spurs team that likes to get out and run when they can. He's the kind of guy who starts fast breaks with fast hands and finishes them with force.
It's not clear why he fell a bit on draft night, but the Spurs' front office seems quite happy that he did. San Antonio had the 33rd pick as well, and they were able to flip that for two future seconds while still getting a borderline first-round talent later in the round.
Cissoko wasn't the biggest story on draft night. Heck, he wasn't even the biggest Frenchman selected by San Antonio, but he has a chance to go down as one of the steals of the draft if he sticks and grows.
That other French guy Victor Wembanyama said he's known Sidy since they were about ten years old, and he's a fiery competitor. It looks like he has a bit of that "nasty" that Gregg Popovich likes so much, an edge that's respectful but remorseless. That may end up being the trait that allows him to graduate from Austin sooner than expected, and impact winning basketball at the highest level down the road.
Wemby's enormous frame and gravity consumed the spotlight on draft night, but there's at least one area where Cissoko has him beat. When the rookies were introduced on the River Walk shortly after the draft Sean Elliott asked him a question in Spanish, and Sidy endeared himself to many in the San Antonio community with his answer.
"Hablo español muy bien," he said, as the crowd erupted. "Estuve cuatro años en España. No tengo palabras para decir eso, pero tengo mucha emoción, estoy muy contento de estar aquí con vosotros, y otra vez es un placer estar aquí con vosotros, muchas gracias."
Victor said he's been meaning to learn Spanish, and now that he's living in San Antonio he's going to make the time.
Cissoko also got a rise out of the fans when he said he'd been to Dallas but "doesn't like the Mavericks." He referenced his countrymen Tony Parker and Boris Diaw and the titles they helped bring to San Antonio, and his sights are set on following in their footsteps.
That's the kind of thing that will need to be done step by step, as Popovich alluded to on draft night. For Cissoko that probably means a little bit more time and seasoning in the G League as a rookie. San Antonio can afford to be patient with him, and he might be ready to contribute sooner than expected.
Bienvenu a San Antonio, Sidy, y buena suerte.