Gregg Popovich on Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko’s time in G League

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich recently spoke about Sidy Cissoko’s G League development.

When fans think of the French rookie on the San Antonio Spurs, minds jump to Victor Wembanyama, and rightfully so. The 20-year-old big man has been absolutely incredible this year and has a real shot at bringing home the Rookie of the Year award. But he’s not the only French rookie they have on the roster.

San Antonio drafted Sidy Cissoko in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft. He has only appeared in five games for the Spurs this season, but he’s been getting some significant run in the G League with the Austin Spurs. The Spurs are tracking his development closely.

Head coach Gregg Popovich recently spoke about how Cissoko has been doing and how he wants him to approach his development. (H/t Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News)

“He’s getting minutes with the G League,” Popovich said. ‘”I want him to get as many minutes as possible. He is doing the best he can and trying to figure out what kind of player he is going to be just like everybody else in the G League.”

In 11 G League games so far, Cissoko has averaged 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 41.5% from the field and 15.0% from behind the three-point line.

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Spurs’ Gregg Popovich on Sidy Cissoko: ‘I want him to get as many minutes as possible’

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wants rookie Sidy Cissoko to play as much as possible in the G League over the remainder of the season.

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said on Thursday that the team wants rookie Sidy Cissoko to play as much as possible in the G League over the remainder of the season.

Cissoko has appeared in only five games with the Spurs and has spent most of the season on assignment with Austin. He and the team agreed that he would stay in the G League for the majority of the year to continue his development and improve his skills.

The Spurs recalled Cissoko from the G League on Thursday after he helped Austin beat the South Bay Lakers. With Austin off until Wednesday, Cissoko will likely stay in San Antonio.

Popovich explained the immediate plan for him.

“He is getting minutes with the G League,” Popovich said. “I want him to get as many minutes as possible. He is doing the best he can and trying to figure out what kind of player he is going to be, just like everybody else in the G League.”

Cissoko is averaging 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 blocks and one steal on 43.7% shooting from the field in 21 games with Austin. He has registered two 20-point games, including a season-high 22 points and nine rebounds on Dec. 28.

The Spurs have utilized their G League affiliate extensively in previous years. Keldon Johnson, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and Tre Jones spent time in Austin and found success there. Cissoko seeks to follow in their footsteps.

The organization is high on Cissoko and believes he has a bright future. With one month left in the regular season in the G League, the team looks to get him on the court as much as possible.

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Spurs recall Sidy Cissoko from G League ahead of Raptors game

The San Antonio Spurs recalled Sidy Cissoko from the G League ahead of their game against the Toronto Raptors.

According to Noah Magaro-George of Air Alamo, San Antonio Spurs PR has announced that the team has recalled rookie Sidy Cissoko from the G League. The 19-year-old rookie has yet to make his NBA debut after spending last season with the G League Ignite.

Cissoko played very well during Summer League for the Spurs, and he earned a standard contract with the team rather than a two-way deal. San Antonio picked him with the 14th pick in the second round. Their recalling of Cissoko comes on the day of their contest against the Toronto Raptors, and Cissoko is already getting ready.

According to a video posted by Spurs World on Twitter, Cissoko was the first Spur out on the court for pre-game warm-ups.

Are you excited to see Cissoko on the court for the Spurs at some point this season?

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Spurs’ Sidy Cissoko to join Austin Spurs for G League training camp

Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko has been assigned to the Austin Spurs ahead of the start of the G League regular season.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko has been assigned to the Austin Spurs ahead of the start of the G League regular season, the team announced.

Cissoko will participate with Austin during its training camp, which will be held at the Victory Capital Performance Center, the organization’s new practice facility in San Antonio. The team will tip off its season on the road on Nov. 10 against the Birmingham Squadron.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich previously said Cissoko would likely spend much of the season in the G League. There, Cissoko will have the opportunity to log extended minutes.

“It would be unwise to have him on the varsity team, so to speak, and sit there and watch us play where he can play 30 minutes or so a game and start to figure it out,” Popovich said on Oct. 9. “But we’ll see. He could surprise me and progress a lot further than I think.”

Cissoko was the 44th pick by the Spurs after playing last season with the G League Ignite. He made five appearances during the preseason, totaling two points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in 45 1/2 minutes.

He has yet to appear in a regular-season game.

Cissoko became a second-round pick because of his ability to score, pass and defend with his 6-foot, 9 3/4-inch wingspan. He also has tremendous athleticism and had a number of highlight-reel dunks with the Ignite last season.

The organization has utilized its G League affiliate extensively. Keldon Johnson, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and Tre Jones each spent time in Austin and found success there. Cissoko hopes to become the latest player to take advantage of the program.

“I’m ready because I knew in the beginning I wouldn’t get like 20 minutes on the first team already,” Cissoko said this month. “I knew when we were talking about the contract that this would happen. I will be with (Sir’Jabari Rice) and Dom (Barlow). (Other players on the team) went to the G League to play, so I won’t say no.”

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Spurs’ Sidy Cissoko ready for opportunity to play in G League

Cissoko is looking forward to play with Austin this season in the G League to further his development.

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said rookie Sidy Cissoko will start the season in the G League, and the 44th pick is ready for that opportunity.

Cissoko is all too familiar with the G League after playing last season with the Ignite. He averaged 11.6 points, 3.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and one steal on 43.5% shooting from the field. He produced eight 20-point games and competed in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star Weekend.

The Spurs will send Cissoko to their affiliate in Austin once the G League season starts next month. He will have the chance to log extended playing time and continue his development.

“I’m ready for that because I knew in the beginning I wouldn’t get like 20 minutes on the first team already,” Cissoko said this week. “I knew when we were talking about the contract that this would happen. I will be with (Sir’Jabari Rice) and Dom (Barlow). (Other players on the team) went to the G League to play, so I won’t say no.”

Cissoko became a second-round pick because of his ability to score, pass and defend with his 6-foot, 9 3/4-inch wingspan. He also has tremendous athleticism and had a number of highlight-reel dunks with the Ignite last season.

The organization has utilized its G League affiliate extensively in the past, as Cissoko referenced. Keldon Johnson, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and Tre Jones each spent time in Austin and found success there.

The Spurs will work with Cissoko throughout the year to get him ready to contribute on a regular basis in the NBA. He seeks the same success others before him have.

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Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan, Sidy Cissoko show love to San Antonio FC

San Antonio Spurs youngsters Jeremy Sochan and Sidy Cissoko recently showed up to a San Antonio FC game.

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most legendary organizations in NBA history, but over the past four years, they’ve suffered a momentary fall from grace. It’s the longest playoff drought in franchise history, but moving forward, they’re primed to refind the greatness that has defined their team for decades.

Obviously, the Spurs organization will be headlined by Victor Wembanyama for years to come, but they have plenty of other young players who fans should be excited about, too. Guys like Jeremy Sochan and Sidy Cissoko are promising young pieces, and those two recently showed love to the San Antonio community.

Sochan and Cissoko showed up at a recent San Antonio FC game and were kicking some soccer balls around, much to the delight of the San Antonio crowd.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Fa1MYZ3U1ws

What are you looking forward to most about Sochan and Cissoko next year?

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Report: No. 44 pick Sidy Cissoko signs 3-year contract with Spurs

Cissoko debuted with the Spurs in summer league, averaging 4.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in seven games.

Former G League Ignite forward Sidy Cissoko, the 44th pick in the NBA draft, signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs, the team announced.

The terms of the contract were not revealed, but Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported it was a three-year pact. Cissoko was likely signed via the second-round pick exception, which would have a team option in the last year.

Cissoko averaged 11.6 points, 3.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and one steal on 43.5% shooting from the field in 43 games with the Ignite. He produced eight 20-point games and was among the players who competed in the NBA Rising game at All-Star Weekend.

Cissoko, 19, was one of four French players drafted this year, joining teammate Victor Wembanyama (No. 1), Bilal Coulibaly (No. 7) and Rayan Rupert (No. 43). It marked the third time that at least four French players were selected in the same year (2016, 2022).

The 6-foot-7 forward has represented France multiple times, including most recently in the 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship. He averaged 11.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in seven games as the Frenchmen finished in fifth place.

Cissoko debuted with the Spurs in summer league, averaging 4.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in seven games between Sacramento and Las Vegas. He finished off his stay in the desert with his best game: 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists on July 16.

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Report: Spurs sign rookie Sidy Cissoko to 3-year contract

The San Antonio Spurs have signed second-round rookie Sidy Cissoko to a three-year contract, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Drafted with the 44th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Cissoko spent this past season with the G League Ignite. …

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The San Antonio Spurs have signed second-round rookie Sidy Cissoko to a three-year contract, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Drafted with the 44th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Cissoko spent this past season with the G League Ignite. However, Cissoko is from France, giving him a connection to Victor Wembanyama.

Cissoko put together an impressive showing in Summer League. While he didn’t shoot particularly well from the field, he was great in every other facet of the game. In five Summer League appearances, Cissoko averaged 5.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. He shot 36.0% from the field and 22.2% from behind the three-point line.

The rookie’s mix of ball-handling, playmaking, and crafty finishing was earning him early comparisons to Spurs legend Manu Ginobili.

He was also a force on the defensive side of the ball. Cissoko’s strong frame at 6-foot-7 allowed him to body smaller opponents and act as a wall on that end of the floor.

Adding him to the current Spurs core on a guaranteed deal is a huge win for San Antonio, but it comes at a cost.

With Cissoko’s standard deal and Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract, the Spurs now need to release or trade three players by Opening Night.

The Spurs currently have 18 players on the roster, and the slew of veterans they employ seem most likely to get the axe. Guys like Khem Birch and Devonte Graham could be waived, and even a youngster like Charles Bassey might find himself on the chopping block with Wembanyama, Zach Collins, and Sandro Mamukelashvili firmly in place.

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Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko has potential to become ‘key role player’

San Antonio Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko has the potential to be a great rotation piece.

This offseason, the San Antonio Spurs got a great chance to take a look at their young talent during Summer League. Obviously, Victor Wembanyama stole the show, as the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has had millions of eyes on him for months. He hasn’t played in an NBA game yet, and he’s already an international superstar.

However, he’s not the only young player on the Spurs. Guys like Dominick Barlow and Malaki Branham also played well, but one of the most intriguing players was rookie Sidy Cissoko. The second-round pick performed well, and Spurs fans have loved watching him play.

According to Jacob Douglas of Pounding the Rock, Cissoko has the potential to become a “key role player” for the Spurs.

“Cissoko’s performance was so fun to watch,” Douglas wrote. “Some Spurs fans online have referred to themselves as ‘Sidy Cissickos,’ a play on the ‘basketball sickos,’ or people so obsessed with the game they would take time out of their Sunday to watch G Leaguers play in the summer league. Cissoko’s talent in transition is what really pops. His creativity and athleticism are a dynamite combo. If the Spurs continue to play a fast paced game, he could eventually become a key role player. Almost netting a triple-double in your last summer league game is something to celebrate.”

In five Summer League appearances, Cissoko averaged 5.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game on 36.0% shooting from the field and 22.2% shooting from distance.

The rookie showed off some fun passing skills and looked great on the defensive end, giving a ton of hope for his future as a unique rotation piece in San Antonio.

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Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko using Jeremy Sochan as example

San Antonio Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko is using Jeremy Sochan as an example, especially on the defensive end.

The San Antonio Spurs got the chance to take a look at a ton of their young talent during Summer League this year. Obviously, most eyes from the outside world were focused on Victor Wembanyama, who the Spurs selected with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. But for San Antonio, this was a great chance to watch their other young prospects play, too.

One player who stood out alongside Wembanyama was fellow rookie, and fellow Frenchman, Sidy Cissoko. The youngster drew comparisons to Spurs legend Manu Ginobili, showing a ton of promise with the ball in his hands and as a jack-of-all-trades on both ends of the court.

As Cissoko aims to focus his efforts on the defensive side of the ball, he said that he’s using Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan as an example.

“I take the example from Jeremy,” Cissoko said via Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “He is the crazy guy on the team, and I just try to be like him.”

Spurs assistant and Summer League head coach Matt Nielson also praised Cissoko’s play on the defensive end.

“That’s his mentality,” Nielsen said. “He takes pride in his defense. He took on the biggest challenge and did such a good job with it.”

Cissoko may not lead the team in scoring every night, but the impact he makes in all other areas stands out. Plus, he’s good for a few flashy plays every once and a while, making him not only an impact player, but a joy to watch.

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