Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin didn't address the roster's lack of wing depth in the offseason. There was no move to fill the void left by Matisse Thybulle joining the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. Nobody was brought in to make up for the losses of Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the Ja Morant blockbuster with the Memphis Grizzlies, either.
Cronin said that though they may be a little thin in that department, it was also a sign of confidence in the remaining group they do have. Sidy Cissoko is proving Cronin right for believing in him and then some, playing some of the best basketball of his career to start the season for Portland.
Sidy Cissoko has been the unsung hero of the Blazers’ hot start
Through six games, he's averaging 6.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 22 minutes per game. The defensive versatility has always been there as a switchable 6-foot-6 wing, but now we're seeing that offensive game slowly catch up to Cissoko at just 22 years old.
He's shooting a career-high 56.5 percent from the field, a drastic upgrade from last season's inefficient 39.8 percent. He's also quietly emerging as a 3-and-D weapon long-term for Portland as someone who just keeps improving as a shooter. This season he's at a respectable 33.3 percent on 2.5 attempts per game. Still below league average, but just enough of a threat to keep defenses honest, which wasn't the case earlier in his career.
Some of this improved play can be attributed to the playmakers that Cronin has surrounded Cissoko with. He's playing within his means, and that's by design as he doesn't have to initiate much offense when sharing the court with playmakers like Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, and Ja Morant prior to injury.
Cissoko isn't an offensive liability, which is what separates his success in this two-way wing role off the bench from Murray's last season. Far too often Avdija would drive last year only to kick the ball out to Murray and have the possession stall. Murray has plateaued as a shooter and is four years older than Cissoko, who continues to trend upwards.
This was someone who was on a two-way contract with the Blazers just last season. He made the most of his opportunity on an injury-riddled roster, even starting in 26 of his 75 games played. Cissoko even showed enough growth from the beginning to the end of that season alone to justify a continued investment.
He's someone whose stock continues to rise. Last season it was circumstantial, as the Blazers had no choice but to rely on him. Now, Cissoko is carving out that role himself, and Cronin is intentionally building the roster to include minutes for him off the bench.
We're seeing Cissoko reward Cronin's trust by filling that role, and he's doing an even better job than expected. Many players have been exceeding expectations to start the season for the 5-1 Blazers, but Cissoko can't be overlooked in that.
Most importantly, it's not like he's on a hot streak and this is something that's bound to regress. This is sustainable two-way impact Cissoko is making with his energy, intangibles, and an offensive game that keeps getting better.
He's become the Blazers' unsung hero to start the season, and nothing suggests that won't continue in November.
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