The Portland Trail Blazers landed a hidden gem in Sidy Cissoko, who earned his way to a standard contract last season. He was far more important than expected as Portland was one of the most injury-riddled teams in the league. But this season, Cissoko will be important by design.
With Jerami Grant and Kris Murray now out of the picture, Cissoko is suddenly one of the lone two-way wings on this roster. Murray, in particular, was redundant as a defensive-minded piece, and Portland was wise to continue investing in Cissoko's upside.
He's just 22 years old and, unlike Murray, has shown promising signs of development since entering the league. Most importantly, the Frenchman improved from 23.1 to 29.8 percent from beyond the arc, showing at least signs that he can one day hopefully become a reliable 3-and-D weapon.
Blazers need Sidy Cissoko to balance out their bench
But in the meantime, Cissoko will still be crucial to maintaining Portland's defensive identity, which has diminished since the Ja Morant deal. And while they've revamped their frontcourt depth with the underrated signings of Branden Carlson and Micah Potter, these bigs aren't equipped to defend out on the perimeter.
Portland still has one final roster spot to fill after these signings and should bring in another two-way wing for added depth. Matisse Thybulle remains a potential option if they are willing to overlook his injury concerns, potentially using Robert Williams III's unique extension with injury protections as a blueprint.
But regardless of what they ultimately do with that final spot, it's clear Cissoko is poised for an increased role in Rip City.
Once an afterthought on a two-way deal, he's quickly changed the narrative and proved his value to this roster. That's not only led to a more permanent position in Portland, but also to an increased role with Joe Cronin using his confidence in Cissoko as a depth piece to guide some of these roster decisions.
The hustle, defensive versatility, and overall intangibles made Cissoko a fan favorite. But it's these exact traits that also make him a scalable role player who simply makes winning plays without requiring the ball or having plays drawn up for him.
With Portland now having a crowded backcourt of offensive-minded players, they are going to need players like Cissoko now more than ever. From the rapid progress he's shown last season, Cissoko should be ready for the task.
Portland believes in it, and you can tell with how they've constructed this roster. With a team full of point guards and centers, he's the glue keeping this bench unit together.
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