After the end of the season for his Austin Spurs then the San Antonio Spurs, Sidy Cissoko (1.98 m, 20 years old) returned to France. A short stay of around ten days before returning to San Antonio. We notably saw him organize a mini-camp with young people at his home in Viry-Châtillon, https://twitter.com/ParisBasketball/status/1783430053176500568 against Cholet at the Adidas Arena, or even appear on the set of NBA Extra. This is where the No. 44 in the 2023 Draft delivered his first impressions of his rookie season, mainly spent in the G-League. He developed his defense as a priority, before getting hot in attack at the end of the season with a few performances beyond 20 points. An ankle injury also cut him short in January, and caused him to miss a month of competition.
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At the start of the season, the Spurs staff told him to be patient, and that his chance would come. This finally arrived at the very end of the season, when Cissoko played the last matches of the Spurs season. He showed an attractive face, with complete and promising statistical production for the future (9.8 points on 57.7% shooting (including 14.2% at 3-points), 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 interceptions and 0.8 blocks over the last 4 games). It was therefore on beIN Sports that he looked back on his long rookie season, which ended on a good note:
“I had injury problems with my ankle. And when you’re not well, they send you to the G-League to recover. Yet I was on my way up. I think if I hadn’t injured my ankle I would have finished the season with Spurs. But hey, in the end I stayed in Austin… I tried to concentrate and qualify for the playoffs with Austin, but we didn’t do it. So I had the chance to play the very end of the season with the Spurs [6 matchs en avril]and it went pretty well…
Many people were waiting for me at the turn because they told me to be patient. Popovich was the first to tell me to be patient and that I would have my chance. And in the end I got it, I think I did a good job on that. Being on an NBA court is a dream, I enjoy every moment, I give my all. And as Popovich says, it starts with defense…
In my head I was ready [en début de saison]. At first I didn’t understand, I thought they were sending me to the G-League as a punishment because I wasn’t ready. But actually they send you there to do practice, because I was on the bench in San Antonio and I wasn’t playing. I realized that I preferred to be in Austin and playing, rather than staying on the bench with the Spurs, and doing shootarounds… Given the end of the season that I had, I think everyone is surprised. I showed that I was ready. »
As for the future, Cissoko confided that he was going to spend the summer between the United States and France, like Bilal Coulibaly. But above all he must treat a knee injury which is currently bothering him. Then he confirmed that he will play Summer League with the Spurs in July. As for the Olympic Games, with the French team? “I don’t think I’ll be there… I would like to play the Olympics in Paris, at home. But here I am, I’m confident, I think they’re going to do something good. I’ll go see them. »
