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Sidy Cissoko Scouting Report

Jan. 9, 2024



Personal:
  • Name: Sidy Cissoko
  • Height: 195cm / 6’4
  • Age: 18 (April/2004)
  • Country: France
  • Current team: NBA G-League Ignite
  • Position: PG / COMBO
  • Draft eligible: 2023
Background Information:
  • Born in Saint-Maurice-Montcouronne, France.
  • Parents from Senegal.
  • Played this past year mainly in Spain: 32 games in LEB Oro.
  • Started playing basketball at 5 years old.
  • Biggest idols are Kyrie Irving and Wade Baldwin.
Basketball Profile:

Physically extremely gifted. His ability to get into the lane is at a high level, with the ability to get to the free-throw line. Strong north-south dribble, especially going right.Speed and quickness are high. Can defend the full court in the 1-3 positions. Strong first step.Feel for the game is strong. As an 18-year-old in LEB Gold, showed the ability to pass in a range of ways (transition, pick and roll, one-handed, no-look) and also shows the ability to play against mismatches. Still more of a scorer than a pass-first guard.Anticipation is strong on the defensive end: will anticipate steals well in the pass line, protect the basket in rotation, helps without fouling, steals off the dribble. Aggressive defence and smart with hands.Level of experience is a positive. Has played and practiced against men this last season. Practiced with a Euroleague team.Has decent positional size, 1 position. Players bigger than his height - good low-post player (passing from the post also). Primary ball-handler.Plenty of margin for development. Body still has a long way to develop (impressive length and levers, low muscle mass). Skill set also has a lot of space to develop.Position on the court is open for debate. In Spain, he has played mainly as a point guard, but with his national team, played a position where he looked comfortable.Shooting is inconsistent. While his shooting form is solid, there is a lot of room for improvement (shot 24.8% from 3PT & 62.8% from FT line). Need to improve significantly for the next level.Toughness and competitiveness. Wants the ball in the clutch moments of the game but needs to improve his skill set here still. Not scared of these moments.Much improved ball handler but still not elite in this aspect. As an elite-level point guard, he will need to be able to play pick & roll against aggressive and conservative defences.

Projection & Final Opinion:
  • High-level physical profile: pop, quickness, above-the-ring, and motor to play extended minutes.
  • His ability to change rhythms with the ball, get to the basket, and get fouled is what will get him on the court, especially playing PG position.
  • Has passing talent and an eye for pass creation (threads the needle, no-look), needs to continue to develop these skills.
  • High margin for improvement and already strong competition experience which puts him ahead of some of his peers, understands the professional landscape.
  • Possibility to become a highly productive defender at the PG position. Will need to continue to develop offensive skill sets, particularly shooting, ball handling, and his pick & roll play.