By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Portland Trail Blazers guard-forward Sidy Cissoko intends to keep things simple ahead of his team’s NBA Preseason 2026 opener against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. After cementing a spot in the rotation last year, the 22-year-old French wing spent his offseason balancing gym time at the Moda Center with a much-needed trip back home.
Perimeter shooting remains the swing skill. In his young career, he has hit just 28.5% of his tries from deep. That number ticked up slightly to 29.8% during the 2025–26 Regular Season. When pressed on the exact blueprint for his summer workouts, asked if he fires up 1,000 three-pointers a week or works on mechanics with staff, he smiled. “More,” he replied. “Probably just repeat. Just shoot the ball. Simple stuff.”
Unlocking that part of his game is an exercise in patience. “I’m getting better,” he explained after team practice on Monday. “I’m still young. It takes time to build it up. And I would say shooting-wise, I think it’s more about confidence because I think all the NBA players can shoot.”
Spotted around town for most of the offseason break, he made sure to prioritize family time back in Europe. “I went back home to see my family a little bit,” he mentioned. “Most of the time I was here too when we had the mini camp. So, we had a great little summer.”
Drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in 2022 and traded to the Blazers in 2025, Cissoko now fits into a diverse, international roster featuring Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Vit Krejci, and Jeremy Sochan. Portland has four exhibition games on the schedule before welcoming the Phoenix Suns for the regular-season opener on October 21.
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