Sidy Cissoko Ready to Start if Deni Avdija's Ankle Keeps Him Out Wednesday

The Portland Trail Blazers' injury report is already dictating lineup roulette, and we are staring down a potential Sidy Cissoko start on Wednesday if Deni Avdija's ankle does not cooperate.

Coach Micah Nori made it official via Underdog NBA: if Avdija sits, Cissoko gets the nod. For anyone holding Avdija props or managing a daily fantasy roster, this is your cue to start monitoring the pregame warmups like a hawk.

"Underdog NBA reported: 'Lineup alert: Sidy Cissoko will start if Deni Avdija (ankle) is ruled out Wednesday, per coach Nori.'"

Cissoko is not going to light up the box score. The guy averaged 5.1 points on sub-30 percent shooting from deep last season. But he is a 6-foot-6 wrecking ball who somehow drew 50 offensive fouls in under 1,700 minutes of run. That is an absurd rate of sacrificing your own ribcage for possession, and it is exactly why Portland gave him a two-year, $3.2 million deal to keep him around.

Portland is already navigating a weird roster crunch with Shaedon Sharpe shelved until 2027. Avdija was supposed to be the stabilizing wing presence after coming over and putting up nearly 15 points and seven boards a night in Washington. Instead, a balky ankle might force Nori to deploy his favorite defensive chameleon early to balance out a roster heavily weighted toward guards and centers.

We will know more closer to tip-off on Wednesday. If Avdija is officially ruled out, expect Cissoko to spend his evening diving for loose balls and making life miserable for opposing wings, while the rest of us scramble to adjust our fantasy lineups.