The 2023 NBA draft is nearing, and the Los Angeles Lakers appear to have a few items to take care of on their to-do list to become true championship contenders again.
One of them is greater viable depth at the wing and forward positions. Jarred Vanderbilt, who was acquired in February’s Russell Westbrook trade, proved a solid defender, but he is offensively inept and may not be the elite defender he first appeared to be.
Los Angeles will have both the No. 17 and No. 47 selections in Thursday’s draft. One possible candidate for the No. 17 pick is Sidy Cissoko, a forward from the G League Ignite it recently worked out.
Cissoko could become a defensive dynamo
Cissoko stands 6 feet, 7 inches and weighs 220 pounds, giving him legitimate size to play the 3 spot at the next level. He is a standout on the defensive end, and his length (he reportedly has a 6-foot-9 wingspan) and lateral quickness allow him to guard small forwards as well as backcourt players. In some cases, he may even be able to guard opposing 4s.
Offensively, the French native averaged 12.8 points a game this past season. He isn’t good enough to be a featured scoring threat, but he does have a unique ability on that end of the floor — his playmaking.
He averaged 3.6 assists a game and has good court vision, although his ball-handling has room for improvement.
Cissoko shot just 30.4% from 3-point range, but he showed a glimmer of hope in that department as the season went on. That is arguably the biggest key for him moving forward, and if he becomes a good 3-point shooter, he could have a serious future in the NBA as a 3-and-D player.
Cissoko is expected to go later in the first round of the draft. At age 19, he should have plenty of upside.
