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Golden State Warriors: Alen Smailagic could make season debut on upcoming road trip

By Nathan Beighle

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Alen Smailagic #6 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 8, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 8: Alen Smailagic #6 of the Golden State Warriors shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers on July 8, 2019 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Golden State Warriors could see the NBA debut of second-round pick Alen Smailagic soon as he’ll join the team on their upcoming road trip.

Over the last few seasons, the Golden State Warriors have struck gold with their second-round picks. The most recent example has been forward Eric Paschall. Draymond Green was also taken in the second round almost a decade ago.

Another player the Warriors were higher on than most of the other teams in the draft was Alen Smailagic. However, with Smiley, the Serbian-born forward’s nickname, and a stacked list of other players having been sidelined, the Dubs have been working with just eight active bodies.

That’s one reason the potential debut of Smailagic is so important for Golden State. It’s not just that the team is banged up; it’s who is banged up. Smailagic and Kevon Looney, two players that’d fill in behind Willie Cauley-Stein at center, have both missed the majority of the season.

That said, we can expect Smailagic back soon.

According to NBC Sports’ Drew Shiller, the Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr has liked the progress that he’s making after a debilitating sprained ankle he sustained prior to the season’s start.

“He practiced. Great to see him out here finally. Poor guy has had a long recovery from a bad sprain. But he looked good out there. He won’t play tomorrow. I think we’ll have an update on Wednesday, and then he will travel with us on Thursday,” Kerr noted according to Shiller.

Obviously, as Kerr noted, Smailagic did not make his debut at home against the Thunder, a game which Golden State should have won. However, the Warriors have one of their longest road trips of the season coming up immediately following Thanksgiving which lands on November 28. The road trip starts on the 29th.

In eight days, the Warriors will travel to Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago in that order. While that at full strength that may have been an easy 5-0, the Warriors will have to dig in playing with potentially single-digit active players.

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These games are a great learning experience, and it’ll be extremely exciting to see Smailagic get to take part in the activities. They’re high on him for a reason, and if he turns out anything like Paschall, the Dubs may have found yet another second-round gem.

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