Mady Sissoko Continues Strong Rebounding in NBA Summer League

Former Cal center Mady Sissoko did some good things for the Oklahoma City Thunder in his final Salt Lake City Summer League game on Tuesday, and he continued to be a factor on the boards..

Sissoko was a starter in all three games in Salt Lake City, including Tuesday’s game won by the Utah Jazz 86-82, and he finished the game with six points, seven rebounds and one emphatic blocked shot in 14 minutes of court time.

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Sissoko's played fewer minutes than he had in the previous two game, and he did not play at all in the fourth quarter Tuesday. It's difficult to know whether that suggests anything about his status on the team.

For the three games, Sissoko averaged 7.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 64% percent from the field. He also blocked three shots. Those are pretty good numbers considering he averaged just 19.0 minutes of playing time.

For much of Tuesday’s game he was matched up against Kyle Filipowski, who started the final 11 games for the Jazz this past season as an NBA rookie. Filipowski got the better of that matchup and ended up with 18 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. But he also played 24 minutes, so not all of his production came against Sissoko.

Sissoko scored his first bucket 20 seconds into the game on an impressive tip-in dunk. But that was the highlight of the day for Sissoko, whose three field goals all came on layups.

Sissoko signed with the Thunder last week as an undrafted free agent, and he acquitted himself well the past three summer league games. The question now is whether he will play a significant role in the Thunder’s four games in the Las Vegas Summer League, July 10, 12, 15 and 16.

Sissoko is hoping to be impressive enough to earn an invitation to the Thunder’s preseason camp or get a spot on the Thunder’s G-league team. He also could also use the summer league as an audition for possible play overseas.

Sissoko’s appeal is that he is a big, strong player who can be a physical presence in the paint. He does not have much of an offensive game, but he is good rebounder who can block shots as a help defender.

Sissoko’s age – he’ll turn 25 in December – will work against him when the Thunder trims its roster.

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