After a long layoff due to injures, Alen Smailagic made his long-awaited return to basketball in the Santa Cruz Warriors’ win over Canton Charge. Check out his highlights on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Warriors forward Alen Smailagic made his long-awaited season debut on the G League hardwood Wednesday, playing in a game for the first time in nearly a year.
Smailagic, who debuted with Golden State in 2019, last touched the court on Feb. 23, 2020 and missed the start of the season after undergoing surgery in early January to repair a torn right meniscus suffered in training camp.
Based on his performance in the Santa Cruz Warriors 111-108 victory over the Canton Charge, it appears the 20-year-old is ready to make up for lost time.
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Smailagic put up 19 points and four boards and blocked a shot in 17 minutes. He also showcased some pretty impressive early chemistry with his teammates, like hammering down a feed from guard Nico Mannion in the third quarter.
Smailagic's return obviously is encouraging news for the Warriors, who are eager to hone his natural physicality into NBA-caliber skill. Smailagic demonstrated flashes of ability in his 14 games with Golden State last year, posting a 14.5 player efficiency rating while averaging 4.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Still, he would benefit from regular playing time in the G League bubble and is expected to remain in Orlando for the time being.
For now though, Golden State is just thankful for his return.
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"Great to see Smiley back on the floor," head coach Steve Kerr said to reporters on a video press conference before the Warriors' game against the Miami Heat. "It’s been a long haul for him."
The 6-foot-10 big man will take advantage of the experience while simultaneously proving he can remain healthy, something Kerr preached for Mannion and Jordan Poole as well.
"Hopefully we stay healthy during that time so those guys get as much experience as they can," Kerr said to reporters in January. "They all need to play."
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Mannion added another formidable performance Wednesday with 20 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-21 shooting. Poole added 16 points, four rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.
It was an all-around solid day for the Warriors' trio, and Kerr is excited for the group to continue to gel.
"They just need to play, and they need to feel everything," he said. "The ups and downs, the good games, the bad games. So far so good on the bubble experience for our guys."