Warriors think they found a gem in young Smailagic
Serb’s willingness and ability to learn excites Warriors
In his first summer league game, the closest he has been to the NBA, 18-yearold Alen Smailagic brought his Warriors teammates out of their seats with a thunderous dunk.
Days later, Smailagic had mixed emotions. On the one hand, he couldn’t help smiling about a moment that created buzz around the summer league. On the other hand, the dunk underscored his limitations as a scorer.
“I got mad because I can’t shoot my shots. I realized I can only score if I go to the rim,” Smailagic said with a hint of humor and self deprecation. “I didn’t realize I was going to dunk over a player.”
That has set up an interesting paradox. Amid their quest to emulate the San Antonio Spurs’ sustained excellence, the Warriors invested and then drafted an international player who has impressed them with his willingness and ability to learn both the game and the English language. Yet, the Warriors also anticipate that the 6-foot-10, 215-pound Serbian forward will progress in the same manner in which he speaks English — at a deliberate pace.
“It is healthy not to have too strong of expectations going in,” said Kent Lacob, the general manager of the Warriors’ G-league team in Santa Cruz. “We’ll see how things play out.”
Smailagic was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 NBA G-league draft, taken by the South Bay Lakers, the El Segundo-based affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was immediately traded to the Santa Cruz Warriors for the rights to Jermario Jones and a first-round (G-league) pick. In 47 games with Santa Cruz, Smailagic averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 17.4 minutes.
Last month, in the NBA draft, Smailagic was taken by the New Orleans Pelicans, who immediately sent him to the Warriors for two second-round picks and cash.
That’s a long way from the Serbian Junior League, where Smailagic was playing 16 months ago.
In seven Summer League games this month — three in Sacramento, four in Las Vegas — Smailagic impressed the Warriors coaches and teammates with his defense and rebounding (4.9 per game). The team remains patient with his shooting (7.4 points on 35.7 percent shooting) and decision making. They became mesmerized with his dunks.
“The kid is talented. He’s very talented,” Miles said.
That dunk in Sacramento showed Smailagic’s raw ability. Smailagic caught the ball at the top of the key and dribbled past Kings center Caleb Swanigan. With a double-team approaching, Smailagic leaped over Swanigan and threw down a one-handed dunk on him. Afterwards, Warriors rookie forward Eric Paschal shared a prediction as powerful as Smailagic’s dunk.
“He’s going to be a player,” said Paschall, the former Villanova player the Warriors drafted at No. 41. “People forget he’s only 18 years old. But that kid is going to be special in a few years. I definitely believe so.”
So how did the Warriors find this diamond in the rough? Chalk it up to scouting and luck.
Lacob flew overseas in May 2017 primarily to attend the Euro Camp in Treviso, Italy, which often features elite international prospects. To maximize their travel time, the Warriors encourage their scouts and front office to make side trips. Lacob went to Serbia, where Smailagic had starred in the 2016 FIBA U-16 European Championship.
Lacob attended a private workout in Serbia to help a friend evaluate his son’s prospects to play for a Division I college. Lacob also attended the workout because the Warriors’ scouts had already became intrigued with Smailagic. So Lacob attended a workout just outside of Belgrade that he said entailed “a rinky dink gymnasium with tiled floor.” Lacob and Jankov then watched Smailagic the next day in the Serbian league playoffs.
At that point, Smailagic stood at 6-foot-6 and was playing point guard. Still, Lacob was impressed.
“There was definitely some intrigue and you could tell the kid can play,” Lacob said. “It’s hard when you see guys that early to know exactly what’s going to happen over the course of their development. But after seeing him the first time, I made sure to keep tabs on him.”
The Warriors monitored Smailagic while he played in Serbia’s third division as well as for the national U-19 league. In the latter, Smailagic was league MVP after averaging 21.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.9 blocks.
That intrigued Lacob enough to return to Serbia to see Smailagic again a year later. Then, Lacob told Smailagic something about his potential that he admitted he did not realize.
“He told me I’m good enough to play, but he doesn’t know how good enough I am,” Smailagic said. “So he has to see me in the G-league and maybe in a few days in the NBA. I was surprised myself.”
The Warriors didn’t have great expectations for Smailagic when he arrived in Santa Cruz.
Smailagic never visited the United States, let alone play pro basketball here. He had just turned 18. And he still needed to adapt to game’s faster pace here.
“I couldn’t say I was scared, but I was nervous,” Smailagic said. “I didn’t know what to expect.”
Those thoughts quickly changed. The Warriors liked Smailagic’s intensity — so much that Miles said after Smailagic’s first practice, “That’s a first-round draft pick right there.”
Smailagic soon was going up against a first-round draft pick, Demarcus Cousins. Cousins scrimmaged in Santa Cruz for a week in December. Smailagic said he requested the assignment of defending Cousins.
“I wanted to see where I’m from so I can practice even more and maybe get even better,” Smailagic said. “It didn’t go pretty well. He’s stronger than me, but I gave my best.”
Cousins won the matchup, but Smailagic had his moments. One stood out to Lacob.
“He and Demarcus had a fun exchange of words,” Lacob recalled, laughing. “Demarcus yelled at him and made a threat. That’s Demarcus’ way of showing respect to someone because he acknowledged he was competing against him. That was cool to see him not back down from Demarcus.”
On the morning of the NBA draft, the Warriors gave $1.3 million and a 2024 second-round pick to Atlanta for the No. 41 selection. Worried that another team still might beat them to Smailagic, the Warriors made the deal with New Orleans — two second-round picks (2021, 2023) and cash — for the No. 39 pick they used on Smailagic.
Smailagic’s impressions of his new surroundings are interesting.
“People are much nicer here than in Serbia. Everyone is laughing. I like it here more than in Serbia,” Smailagic said. “They are nice, but not like here. In Serbia, I don’t see that many people laughing. They’re more mean. We practice hard here, but Serbian players don’t see the game as fun. It’s something that you have to do.”
Smailagic said he “didn’t know how to say one word” of English on his arrival. Within three months, he said he was comfortable listening and speaking the language. And now? Smailagic’s greeting to Miles: “What’s up, coach?!” He addresses Paschall as “Big Fella.”
His sense of humor is up to speed.
“I started to understand and to speak to other guys and other people,” he said, “but when I had the ball, I didn’t know English. I didn’t want to have to pass.”
Summer League was a mixed bag, but there were glimpses of why the Warriors think Smailagic will be special. Miles marveled at Smailagic’s consistent rebounding. Teammates praised his aggressiveness. Of course, they all were entertained by his dunks.
“He’s a smart enough kid to recognize there are lot of things he needs to improve on with his body, athleticism and strength. But it doesn’t prevent him from trying,” Lacob said. “It doesn’t prevent him from going at people. That is something that is really admirable, especially in a competitive sports environment. You want those guys that are going to go hunt, as opposed to backing down and being the hunted.”
Such feedback only makes Smailagic more determined to show he belongs in the NBA. That might not happen right away. Lacob said the Warriors don’t know whether Smailagic will primarily play with the Warriors or in Santa Cruz because it depends on the team’s final roster makeup, how training camp plays out and how Smailagic performs.
Even while pleading patience, though, the Warriors can’t help being excited.
“It means a lot to me,” Smailagic said. “If they believe in me, why shouldn’t I believe in me?”