Today we come to a conclusion of the players portion of our 2025-26 season review for the Portland Trail Blazers. From Deni Avdija to Vit Krejci, we’ve covered the rotation thoroughly. A couple of standouts remain, however. Due to injuries, Portland got major contributions from a couple of two-way contract players this year: Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love. Let’s take a look at their seasons.
Sidy Cissoko Stands In
The most impressive part of Sidy Cissoko’s game this season might be that he logged 75 appearances, 1435 minutes,
for the Blazers. He ranked seventh on the team in total minutes played, third in games played. That’s good work for a guy whose name few people knew prior to the season.
Cissoko grew up in the French pipeline and had once season of experience with the San Antonio Spurs before signing with Portland. It showed. The reason he saw action was simple: he was usually in the right place, making a decent defensive read, tossing the correct pass at the correct time. You didn’t have to worry about Sidy. Anybody who’s managed a team of anything (convenience store, accounting office, football club) understands the value of a contributor who’s going to come in, do their work, and not cause you any trouble. You rely on those guys like bone marrow: seldom seen or mentioned, but it’s an important part of the system.
Beyond that, Cissoko showed occasional flashes of energy that made fans (and probably coaches) sit up straighter. He could become a terror defensively, moving across the floor with surprising speed for a player with his solid frame. He rebounded well in spurts, particularly offensively, averaging 1.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes, 2.1 per 100 possessions. Accumulated, this was good enough to get his two-way contract converted to a regular deal in February, a sign of confidence (and need) from the team.
Despite the earnestness, Cissoko suffered from a 39.8% shooting percentage, 29.8% from the three-point arc. He’s not billed as a scorer, but everybody on the floor has to hit open shots when they get them. Sidy didn’t. He did hit 74% of the shots he attempted within three feet, but only 22% of his attempts came from that range. Beyond the bucket, the numbers were grim. If you shoot like that, you better defend like Draymond Green. Sidy is good, but not that good.
Nor do any of Cissoko’s other stats stand out. His on-off numbers were negative, his contributions relative to teammates anemic.
Overall, Cissoko reads as a defensive-minded utility player with young legs and a sturdy body. His 2025-26 performance made it clear that, so far, he’s still an “in case of emergency, break glass” guy rather than a bankable member of the rotation. Cissoko’s minutes this season showed as much about the state of the team as the state of his game.
He just turned 22, so he’ll have more opportunity to show his stuff. A better jump shot would be a good start. After that, we’ll see.
Caleb Love Wows on Offense
Portland’s other standout two-way player was Caleb Love, a 6’3 shooting guard from Arizona who never met a shot he didn’t like. But that goes without saying, as 6’3 shooting guards don’t make it in the NBA nowadays unless they’re offensive wizards.
Love certainly tried. He attempted 10 shots per game in 21 minutes over 49 appearances this season. That translated to 17.4 field goal attempts per 36 minutes, 23.1 per 100 possessions. Those numbers put him in an exact tie with Avdija, the team’s offensive leader and ball-control guy for much of the season. That shows you the confidence Love has in his own shot.
It’s merited too, sometimes. Love scored in double figures in 26 of those 49 outings, over 20 points in 8 of them. Most of the time, when he shot 40% or above from the floor (a very modest number), he was a terror.
The problem is, he didn’t hit that mark all that often. He shot sub-40% in 27 games, with a season field goal percentage average of 38.8%. That might work if he had a three-point shot, but his 31.8% rate beyond the arc belies that assumption.
Love isn’t a glue guy. His assist numbers are modest, his on-off numbers near unmentionable. Even worse, he’s a poor defender. He’s in the game for offense alone at this point. When he’s hot, it can be magic. When he’s not, playing him looks like a huge mistake.
Right now, Caleb Love is a shooting guard who can’t shoot. He needs to work hard over the summer to get off the Island of Misfit Toys. Developing some kind of defensive conscience would be the first step. As with so many Blazers, a three-point shot needs to follow. That’s a clear list, but also a tall order for a guy who, so far, has gotten by on volume shooting.
Whether Love even gets another opportunity is up in the air. When healthy, the Blazers have plenty of guards ahead of him on the depth chart. But if he does, more precision along with the production would go a long way towards establishing him in the league.
What say you? Share your impressions of Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love in the comments section below!
