A whole new spotlight was shone on the G League Ignite program this season. This comes just two years after its inaugural season, which was headlined by Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga’s decisions to take their talents there. While Green and Kuminga certainly fostered a great amount of hype, and Dyson Daniels and Jaden Hardy brought a good bit of their own a year ago, nothing prior compares to the excitement Scoot Henderson brought to the program. After joining the squad at just 17 years of age, the third overall pick in this year’s draft generated oodles of buzz for the Ignite.
However, what often got lost in the Henderson hype were the intriguing skillsets of his teammates. In particular, Leonard Miller and Sidy Cissoko both proved to be terrific prospects in their own right while suiting up for G League Ignite.
Miller, drafted No. 33 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves, was arguably more productive than Henderson for the Ignite. He quickly starred in Summer League and earned himself a four-year NBA contract.
On the other hand, Cissoko is yet to have inked an NBA contract for himself, which many believe to be puzzling. The French prospect slipped a little bit on draft night, ultimately landing in San Antonio at pick 44. This comes on the heels of a stat-stuffing campaign for Ignite. In 28 regular season games, the Frenchman averaged 12.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks. In 15 Showcase Cup games, he tallied an average stat line of 9.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks.
Carrying the same intensity into Summer League, Cissoko once again did a little bit of everything. The 6-foot-8 forward was an exceptional defender, combining his athleticism and sturdy frame to consistently wall off defenders and make scoring a struggle. Additionally, the 19-year-old averaged 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. But he did average just 5.2 points per game.
Still, Cissoko’s package of physical tools, relentless hustle, shrewd passing, smothering defense, and youth should undoubtedly earn him an NBA contract, even if his scoring is still a work-in-progress.
If he can refine his skills a bit, Cissoko will become a great complimentary wing in the NBA. Outside of his scoring shortcomings, every other major part of his game projects to be significantly above average. Maybe he never quite improves his bucket-getting enough, but he’s surely displayed that he deserves a real chance.
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