Expect the Dallas Mavericks to lean on Moussa Cisse heavily over the next few weeks as the front court remains plagued by injuries.
The stock on the Dallas Mavericks' guard and wing depth has risen during this early-season stretch - with rookies Cooper Flagg, Max Christie and Ryan Nembhard excelling along with veterans P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall filling their roles.
The front court, however, hasn't earned the same reputation.
Dallas' injuries to big-man depth has been costly in the ability to protect the rim and find efficient scoring down low. Anthony Davis has been great when he's healthy, but having played less than half of the possible games tells the larger story there. Daniel Gafford continues to be slowed with a lingering ankle issue, and without him, the Mavs' center rotation is practically exhausted with Dereck Lively II having been ruled out for the season last week.
The Mavs are in need of a reliable force on the interior, and they might've found who can turn into that x-factor moving forward: two-way rookie big man Moussa Cisse.
The 6-11 center, like Nembhard, is on a two-way contract where he's scheduled to split time with the Mavericks in the NBA and their G-League affiliate Texas Legends to develop his game. Nembhard has already found a home in the Mavs' starting lineup with point guard Kyrie Irving still rehabbing, and due to this front court health crisis, Cisse isn't far from creating that opportunity for himself, too.
Take his debut with the Legends as reason to believe.
On Saturday, Cisse posted a double-double of 16 points and a game-high 16 rebounds to go with four blocks. It's a statement performance that raises the eyebrows of scouts who initially pegged him as "not NBA-ready".
His game is by no means completely polished - there is room for improvement in touch and cognitive processing - but due to the depth concerns for head coach Jason Kidd's squad, this experiment is worth the growing pains it may include.
“It just felt good to play basketball again,” Cisse said after not yet finding a consistent minutes allotment in his games with the Mavs. “Just coming out here and getting some reps and playing, it felt good. I was out there having fun.”
He was most proud of his activity in and around the basket that led to extra opportunities for the Legends, who needed a comeback to beat the Austin Spurs 126-122.
“It was just my energy,” he said to Mavs.com. “That’s what I do – bring the energy. We were down in the first half and I came in and told the guys they’re scoring in the first half and we can do the same thing in the second half.
“All we got to do is fix a little thing -- rebounding and playing defense and cut the turnovers down. And we went over there and executed and the results were great. It was a team effort.”
It was a team effort from the cheering section, as well, with Mavs teammates such as Flagg, Christie, Marshall, Nembhard, Dwight Powell and Brandon Williams showing up to the Comerica Center in Frisco to support Cisse and the Legends.
“They told me they were going to come and I didn’t believe it,” Cisse said. “So seeing them, that was love. Those are my brothers, so it felt good to see them out here supporting me.”
Legends coach Max Hooper was greatly impressed by the young center's production in his debut.
“Moussa’s intensity, effort, energy and activity was excellent -- off the charts,” Hooper said. “Just a little bit of a learning curve on what the Legends are doing specifically, but overall I’m super happy with him.”
Due to the nuances of Cisse's contract, it is unpredictable when he might be up with the Mavs roster or sent down to get some reps with the Legends. Through the uncertainty, he's remembering to stay planted where his feet are and relish the opportunities to improve.
“One thing about me is I’m always ready,” Cisse said. “You’ve got to take it game-by-game. You’ve got to stay ready every time. Whenever your number is called, you don’t know when it’s going to be called, especially guys in my situation. I can be out here today [with the Legends] and then tomorrow I’m traveling with [the Mavs]. You just got to be ready and have a good preparation.”
In Dallas' overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday, Cisse made the most of his NBA minutes following this G-League explosion by posting six points on 50 percent shooting to go with seven rebounds and a block in 13 minutes. He averages 3.1 points and 3.5 boards a night in his 19 appearances this season, but only gets about 10 minutes of playing time per game, with minutes often fluctuating drastically and it hard to find consistent production.
The potential, however, is undeniable. Cisse averages 10.9 points and 12.4 rebounds on over 60 percent shooting per 36 minutes.
If his breakout debut in the G-League is any indication, Cisse crafting a fit in this Mavs front court that's desperate for continuity is something worth getting excited for.