The Portland Trail Blazers are deeper than they’ve been in years.
That depth arguably extends to their two-way contracted players, and while Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love will spend a good deal of time with the Rip City Remix this season, the pair appear to be ready to contribute with the big club when required.
As always, preseason performances should be taken with a grain of salt, especially when trying to correlate their preseason contributions to regular season play. One thing I have taken from the Blazers
four exhibition games has been a baseline competence from the duo when executing this team’s new gritty, defense-first identity.
Last month, I ranked all Blazers who have represented the franchise as a two-way player. While Brandon Williams and Trendon Watford left the largest marks, few others have been able to contribute on any meaningful level.
A quick reminder:
- Two-way contracts allow NBA teams to carry three extra players in addition to the 15 on their respective regular season rosters.
- These players, who have no more than four years NBA experience, can play up to 50 games in a season.
Today, I’m suggesting that the Blazers’ two current two-way players may end up having a decent impact on the franchise’s fortunes. The team also has room for a third two-way contract, which they may or may not fill before this Wednesday’s first regular season game.
Sidy Cissoko
Age: 21
Position: Wing
Preseason stats: 18.0 minutes, 4.0 points, 22.2% FG, 1.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals
I was first intrigued by the Frenchman while watching him as Scoot Henderson’s teammate on the G League Ignite in lead up to the 2023 NBA Draft. While Henderson went third to the Blazers, Cissoko was taken with the 44th pick by the San Antonio Spurs, playing sparingly through 29 games in a season and a half with the Texas franchise.
In February, he was included in two pre-deadline deals before being waived by the Washington Wizards before subsequently signing with the Blazers and re-uniting with Henderson.
I was cautiously optimistic about the young wing’s prospects as a Blazer even after he saw minimal court time by the end of the 2024-25 season. What I liked most about the Frenchman was his ability and willingness to pass with the latter more impressive for a player at his position.
At 6’6” with a 6’10” wingspan and an large-ish frame, Cissoko’s ability to make decisions with and without the ball in hand is innate. His energy and athleticism on defense fit flawlessly with the Blazers defensive mantra, able to guard multiple positions.
Sadly, the biggest barrier to Cissoko’s success is his shot. While he’s able to score comfortably within the arc, a career 16.0 percent three point rate needs to lift if he’s going to be an effective modern NBA wing.
Positional opportunities: Sissoko has gotten early rotation run through preseason. Though this is unlikely to continue with a list of wings (Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija, Matisse Thybulle and Kris Murray) sitting higher in the depth chart, opportunity will present itself.
There will be times when the above names will be required to fill other positions. I also think Cissoko gets minutes ahead of countryman and regularly rostered, but still raw, teammate Rayan Rupert. If Cissoko has any chance at sticking he needs to instill a confidence in Billups that he can defend and create a little on offense. If he can hit a few shots, expectations start to change.
Caleb Love
Age: 24
Position: Guard
Preseason stats: 17.9 minutes, 12.75 points, 29.6% 3pt, 41.9% FG, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals
The mature-aged rookie spent a whopping five years in the college system, representing two quality schools. The fact that he’s entering the NBA as a 24-year-old indicates he’s essentially the player he’s going to be. While longer-tenured college names aren’t typically taken early (except if you’re Damian Lillard), they carry a maturity and a little more know-how that can be leaned upon by coaches.
Love appears to have ample confidence in his game, which I believe can be used if harnessed in the right way. We saw said confidence first hand last week when Love led the Blazers to their one and only preseason win against the Sacramento Kings. Though his 29.6 percent from three during the preseason doesn’t inspire supreme confidence, he has the ability to score at all three levels. This confidence sometimes convincing him to take unrealistic attempts. If he’s able to work on his shot selection that efficiency surely goes up.
Love’s more combo guard than a pure point given his penchant to create his own shot over others. He also offers passable defense on the other side of the ball.
Positional opportunities: Expect Love to get some minutes early in the season with Scoot Henderson out. When Henderson returns, it’ll be interesting to see how Coach Chauncey Billups allocates any remaining minutes between Love and Blake Wesley. Wesley, who despite being 18 months younger than Love, has three years of actual NBA experience and a more defined defensive presence on the court.
If Love can prove his ability to score efficiently on this offensively challenged roster, then he could find himself spending more time at the Moda Center than at the University of Portland.
Conclusion
The Blazers appear ready to win games after four years in the wilderness with their goal seemingly to crack the Western Conference Play-In tournament. In order to achieve said goal, they’ll need contributions across the board during the marathon that is an 82-game NBA season.
Injuries will occur and players – particularly younger names – will fall in and out of form, allowing for back of the bench and two-way contracted names to take the court. Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love are by no means game-changing talents, but they do appear to have the competence and maturity to contribute.
Cissoko’s ability to handle the ball and create for others at his size offers Coach Chauncey Billups options in lineups where offense might ordinarily be stagnant. If the 6’6” Frenchman can make a shot from beyond the three-point line, he may find himself playing regular minutes.
Love, who is already in his mid 20s, might not boast the greatest shot selection, but has the ability to put the ball through the hoop while not being a liability on other side of the ball. It’ll be interesting to see if they can use this opportunity to cultivate longer-than-anticipated NBA careers.
