Inside The Spurs

Who Does Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko Model His Game After?

San Antonio Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko tries to play like some of the NBA's biggest stars.

Jeremy Brener

Who Does Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko Model His Game After?
Who Does Spurs Rookie Sidy Cissoko Model His Game After? /
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The San Antonio Spurs may have one of the 2023 NBA Draft's biggest steals in No. 44 overall pick Sidy Cissoko.

The Frenchman played this past season for G League Ignite and made an appearance at the Rising Stars Challenge at the All-Star Break this past February. Cissoko shared with USA Today which All-Stars he looks up to and studies.

"My player was Kyrie Irving," Cissoko said to The Rookie Wire's Cody Taylor. "When I was overseas, I was small and a point guard. I started to grow and couldn’t be a 6-foot-7 guard like Kyrie because it isn’t the same height and body." 

In the NBA, the more versatile a player is, the better. Cissoko citing Irving as an influence when he was a point guard is good for his playmaking abilities, but the 19-year-old doesn't project to be a primary playmaker in the NBA, at least in the start of his career. Cissoko's change in his game is referenced in his newer influence.

"Now, I model my game more like Jimmy Butler," Cissoko said. "When Jimmy came into the league, he wasn’t a scorer like he is now. He was more like a defensive player guarding the best player on every team every time so I try to be like Jimmy now. If I get the chance to be like him, I would definitely do it."

Butler is certainly a great player to model your game after. As the star of the Miami Heat's NBA Finals run, Butler has proven to be one of the game's top players and performers when it matters most. He has led the Heat to a pair of NBA Finals appearances in superhuman moments, and could have another run or two in his arsenal.

If the Spurs got that out of Cissoko, he may become one of the biggest draft steals in NBA history.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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