Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko 'Wants to Focus On Defense,' Should Not Be Overlooked

Sidy Cissoko is likely an avid supporter of the classic 'championships are won on defense,' mindset, and plans to bring that to San Antonio during his rookie season.

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs are used to being in the spotlight. 

Having five championships in the span of 15 years will do that to any franchise in the NBA, especially when the star player is one of the most legendary big men to play the game. 

Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson and Tony Parker all put the Spurs back on the map, beginning in 1999 and up until Duncan's 2016 retirement. Unfortunately, the dynasty that was created under Gregg Popovich didn't have the legs to continue much longer after the core was dismantled. 

Since then, the Spurs have fallen to the bottom of the Western Conference, needing another pick-me-up to help them back into the contender conversation, and Victor Wembanyama is exactly that player. 

What he brings to San Antonio is something that likely no fans in the city thought they would be getting given the way the last several years have gone, but now that he's officially been drafted, Wembanyama's homecoming is a reality. 

But while the 7-4 center is set to continue the lineage of great big men to grace both the Alamodome and AT&T Center, the Spurs' other rookie shouldn't be forced to fit within Wembanyama's 88-inch shadow. 

Sidy Cissoko, the No. 44 pick of the NBA Draft, brings a ton to the Spurs, including one of the most coveted skills in the game: defense. 

"I know if I go and make it to an NBA team, I’m going to be a rookie and I’m not going to get like 20 shots a game," Cissoko said to The Rookie Wire's Cody Taylor. "The NBA coaches like to make young guys play defense so I just want to focus first on defense."

Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko tries on his Spurs uniform for the first time for a public shoot around. #Porvida @Sports2NiteTX pic.twitter.com/lAVx94ecWp

— Carolina Teague (@CTtheMicSlayer) June 24, 2023

A mindset of that caliber will bode well for Popovich's coaching style. Especially with a young team, the veteran coach will be focused on developing his players, and if Cissoko brings the kind of defense he's been playing with the G League Ignite, he could have a shot at an All-NBA team in a few years.

"I’m the guy that plays defense every time 100% on the court and I have no regrets after a game," Cissoko said. "I can pass. I can do some crazy passes. I can shoot the ball and I just like to have fun on the court every time."

Cissoko's ability to balance having fun and playing hard is part of what makes him a special grab for San Antonio in the second round. He's been told he plays like a vet, and if that's any kind of true, the Spurs will love him next season. 

"This year was weird because I'm a young guy," Cissoko said at his introductory press conference in San Antonio. "But I was always told 'You look like a vet and act like a vet. Playing abroad [helped] me to develop early on." 

Not the first time a future Spur developed a large part of his game overseas, is it?

"In Spain, they were only using me as a point guard," Cissoko added. "I understand that I have a body that I can play multiple positions [with], so I’m versatile. Coach [Jason] Hart (the G League Ignite coach) told me at the beginning of the year: ‘The more versatile you are, the more NBA teams are going to like you.'" 

It's safe to say that Cissoko is already well liked. In fact, he might have been undervalued by every other team but the Spurs. Then again, they take foreign talent very seriously in San Antonio, and Cissoko may just be in the perfect place to thrive.

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