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MISSISSAUGA, ON, CANADA – JANUARY 10: Opening tip of the NBA G League Showcase Game 1 between the Santa Cruz Warriors and the Grand Rapids Drive on January 10, 2018 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario Canada. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Randy Belice/NBAE via Getty Images) +

Recently, the Golden State Warriors G-League affiliate made a surprise pick. They drafted Alen Smailagić, an 18-year-old from Serbia.

On today’s edition of TimeOut, I am going to reveal six facts about the newest Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State Warriors G-League affiliate, Alen Smailagić and the strengths and weakness related to his overall playing style.

Let’s break it down a bit easier before we dive deeper into his strengths.

Alen Smailagić is from Belgrade which is the capital of Serbia and was born on August 18, 2000. He will not only be the youngest player on the Santa Cruz Warriors this season and in history, but he will also be the youngest player in NBA G League history to play in the NBA G League. He last played for Beko. He spent six years with the team. He played nineteen games in the U19 Roda JLS and ten games in the Prva Muška Regionalna Liga/MRL CENTAR during the 2017-2018 season. Playing in the U19 Roda JLS, he averaged 21.7 points, shooting 55% from the field and 28% from three-point range to go along with 6.3 defensive rebounds, 4.8 offensive rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2 steals and 1.9 blocks in 27.6 minutes of playing time. In 24.2 minutes of playing time he averaged 15.9 points shooting 69% from the field, 15% from three-point range to go with 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals while playing in the MRL CENTAR. He is the reigning league MVP in the U19 Roda JLS. Last August, he participated in the 2016 FIBA U16 European Championship where he averaged five points and 5.7 rebounds. For Smailagić, the Santa Cruz Warriors sent their rights for the 18th pick in this year’s draft Jermerrio Jones and 2019 first round draft pick.

One thing is for certain Smailagić bring a lot of the table and that is great but there are many things he needs to work on. It is more than shooting.

New players like Smailagić need to learn to be an effective player on both sides of the ball quick because the pace of NBA games increases by the second.