Inside The Spurs

Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko Plays Defense at '100 Percent Every Time'

Sidy Cissoko proved why the San Antonio Spurs liked him coming out of the draft in the team's California Classic opener against the Charlotte Hornets.

Matt Guzman

Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko Plays Defense at '100 Percent Every Time'
Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko Plays Defense at '100 Percent Every Time' /
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Among the biggest reasons Sidy Cissoko was scouted by the San Antonio Spurs was the exact piece of his game he brought to the court in the team's Summer League opener against the Charlotte Hornets.

His defense propelled his performance, which was not stat-riddled. Despite only registering three points and four rebounds, the total of those two figures add up to the amount of shots No. 2 pick Brandon Miller took with Cissoko as his primary defender.

Miller made just one.

Yes, the Hornets rookie finished the game with 18 points and proved his scoring ability once again, but when it mattered, he was largely absent. Call it a learning curve, but don't forget to mention who made it extremely sharp — that was Cissoko's role.

"I’m the guy that plays defense every time 100 percent on the court and I have no regrets after a game," Cissoko said of his defensive-focused game. "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."

The French rookie seemed to have fun on the court, nearly connecting with Champagnie for what would've been the SportsCenter top-10 dunk of the night. Either way, Cissoko backed-up his talk and proved why he can be an elite defender for the Spurs. The best part is that he'll only continue to grow and improve.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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