Joe Cronin didn’t make a big offseason move to patch Portland’s wing depth, and Sidy Cissoko is making that decision look smarter by the night.
The Trail Blazers were thin on the perimeter after Matisse Thybulle left for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, and they also didn’t add a replacement for the departures of Jerami Grant and Kris Murray in the Ja Morant blockbuster with the Memphis Grizzlies. Cronin said the lack of a move reflected confidence in the group already in place. Cissoko is turning that faith into real production.
Through six games, the 22-year-old wing is averaging 6.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 22 minutes per game. The defense has long been the selling point for the switchable 6-foot-6 wing, but now the offense is starting to catch up. He’s hitting a career-best 56.5 percent from the field, a massive jump from last season’s 39.8 percent, and he’s quietly becoming a long-term 3-and-D option for Portland.
The shot is still a work in progress, but it’s no longer something defenses can ignore. Cissoko is making 33.3 percent of his threes on 2.5 attempts per game this season. That’s still below league average, but it’s enough to matter, and it’s a clear step forward from where he stood earlier in his career.
A lot of that growth fits the way Portland has built around him. Cissoko isn’t being asked to do too much when he shares the floor with playmakers like Deni Avdija, Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, and Ja Morant prior to injury. He’s playing within his role, and that’s the point.
That matters because he’s not a possession-killer. That’s what separated his bench role from Kris Murray’s last season.
Too often, Avdija would drive, kick to Murray, and watch the possession stall. Murray has plateaued as a shooter and is four years older than Cissoko, who is still trending upward.
The Blazers know exactly what they have in Cissoko because they’ve already seen the arc of his development. He was on a two-way contract with Portland just last season, then made the most of an injury-riddled roster and even started 26 of his 75 games played. He showed enough growth from the start of that season to the finish to earn more investment.
Now he’s not just filling minutes because the roster needs him. He’s carving out the job himself. Cronin has built the roster with minutes for him off the bench, and Cissoko has rewarded that trust with steady, useful two-way play.
Plenty of players have helped push the 5-1 Blazers out to a hot start, but Cissoko belongs in that conversation. This isn’t just a brief surge, either. The impact is built on energy, intangibles and a steadily improving offensive game, which is why he looks more like a real piece than a short-term story.
For now, he’s become Portland’s unsung hero, and nothing in the early season suggests that changes in November.
In Other News...
Blazers Keep Getting Better News From The Damian Lillard Trade
The Damian Lillard trade keeps looking better for Portland, not just because of what the Blazers received in the deal, but because of how the rest of the transaction has played out since. Milwaukee has been trying to navigate an early-season slump after parting with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the ripple effects of the Lillard move have only added to the sense that Portland came out ahead in a major way.
For the Blazers, the return was always about more than one player, and the draft capital attached to the deal has given the franchise more flexibility as it tries to build forward. Milwaukees decision to waive Lillard to create cap room also underscored how much long-term financial maneuvering came with the trade, leaving Portland with a package that keeps gaining value as the Bucks continue to sort through the fallout. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Fans May Not Like How Close This Suns Rematch Looks
The Trail Blazers are heading into their rematch with the Suns in a familiar spot for an early-season contender: dealing with injury absences while still trying to keep the momentum rolling. Portland is expected to be without key players Ja Morant and Shaedon Sharpe, which makes the matchup a little trickier on paper, even as the Blazers have opened the season strong and remain the models pick to win.
For fans, the interesting part is how tight this one looks against the betting market. The simulation projections point toward Portland, but they also suggest a game that could stay close enough to test whether the Blazers can keep turning solid starts into actual results. With the Suns back on the schedule, the margin for error feels slim, and the numbers are leaving just enough room for a tense finish. [Read more 🡒]
Deni Avdija Already Faced One Big Blazers Concern After Ja Morant Trade
Deni Avdija did not wait long to address the biggest question hanging over his place in Portland after the Ja Morant trade. With the Blazers suddenly built around two All-Star guards, Avdija went straight to head coach Micah Nori looking for clarity on how his role would fit into the new setup, a fair concern for a player who has become an important part of the rotation.
Nori laid out how Avdijas chances to contribute could actually grow even in a backcourt crowded with star power, and the early returns have backed that up. Avdija has kept scoring efficiently to start the season, while teammates Damian Lillard and Morant have both spoken positively about what he brings, giving Portland at least one encouraging sign as it sorts through the ripple effects of the trade. [Read more 🡒]