Kerr: Smailagic ‘will 100%’ join Warriors this season
PORTLAND, ORE. >> Encouraged by what he’s seen from forward Alen Smailagic in the G League, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the rookie will make his NBA debut at some point this season.
“He will 100% find his way onto the floor in a game, or multiple games,” Kerr said after Wednesday morning’s shootaround. “We just don’t know when that’s going to be.”
With the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, Smailagic finished with a career-high 29 points on 12-for-18 shooting (5-for-9 from 3-point range), 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks in a win over the Agua Caliente Clippers. After he landed in Portland, Kerr watched the game and was pleased with Smailagic’s progress.
The No. 39 pick in June’s
NBA draft, Smailagic is a long-term project with an intriguing skillset. Though he will spend most of his rookie season developing in Santa Cruz, the Warriors would eventually like to test the 19-year-old at the NBA level.
Smailagic is averaging 15.8 points per game in the G League this season, flashing natural passing ability and shooting range.
“Smiley’s getting in better shape, better condition,” Kerr said of Smailagic, who returned three weeks ago
after being sidelined two months with a sprained ankle. “You can see he’s moving better. He’s knocking down the 3-point shot, gaining confidence. It’s good to see him finding his groove.”
Smailagic has made periodic trips to San Francisco to practice with Golden State. However, with the Warriors finally healthy, it may take another injury or a rest night for one of the team’s other centers for Smailagic to get an NBA call-up.
“We’ll figure out when the right time is to bring him back,” Kerr said. “We’ll just take it a step at a time.”
• On a team split between experienced players and newcomers out to prove they belong, Warriors guard Damion Lee is somewhere in the middle.
In his second straight season on a two-way contract, Lee is playing for a 15-man roster spot, something eight first-year Warriors already have. Kerr has leaned on that experience, and remarked earlier this week that he’d like to find a way to keep Lee on the team after the season.
“It’s good to hear the belief he has in me, and the organization has. If it’s in the cards and that happens, then that’s great,” Lee said. “But, as of right now, I’m on a two-way, so I feel like I have plenty of things to continue to prove not only to myself but to this team going forward.”
Lee has used 25 of his allotted days with Golden State. Once he reaches the 45-day limit of his two-way contract, he’ll be relegated to the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. The Warriors faced a similar situation with rookie guard Ky Bowman, and assigned him to the G League for the past two games to preserve his remaining 13 days. Both will be free agents next offseason.
In 14 games, Lee has averaged 10.7 points per game, which leads the league among players on two-way contracts.
• You may have heard of Sunday Service, a weekly gospel concert led by rapper Kanye West that has attracted a who’s who of celebrities — including Brad Pitt, Katy Perry and Idris Elba, among others.
Stephen Curry is the latest celebrity to attend the music performance/spiritual service.
The Golden State Warriors star was seen this past weekend in the front row at the City of Refuge church in Gardena. Also in attendance were celebrities Swizz Beatz and Lala Anthony.
Kim Kardashian West explained the service to Elle: “It’s honestly more like a healing experience for my husband. It’s just music; there’s no sermon. It’s definitely something he believes in — Jesus — and there’s a Christian vibe. But there’s no preaching. It’s just a very spiritual Christian experience.”