Golden State Warriors: Realistic expectations for three 2019 draft picks

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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 29: Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after a second-half three-point basket while playing the Ohio State Buckeyes at Crisler Arena on January 29, 2019, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 65-49. Golden State Warriors (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The Golden State Warriors will have high expectations for their 2019 draft class as the team looks to replace the depth that they lost in the offseason.

When the Golden State Warriors take the court for the first time this upcoming fall, the roster is sure to look very different.

Sure mainstays such as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green will be there, but they’ll now be joined by the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Willie Cauley-Stein, and many other newcomers who are expected to play major roles this season.

After losing the majority of their depth in the offseason, the Warriors worked diligently to replace the key cogs of their bench rotation last year. But free agency presented a challenging task as with minimal cap space, their options were limited.

For that reason, the 2019 NBA Draft represented a crucial opportunity to add cheap, young depth to not only develop over the long haul but hopefully have contribute from day one.

Of course with any draft class, the expectations for each of their three picks vary. So let’s take a look and analyze what we could realistically expect from each rookie this upcoming season.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 21: Demarcus Cousins #12 of United States grabs a rebound against Serbia during the Men’s Gold medal game on Day 16 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1 on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Golden State Warriors (Photo by Pool/Getty Images) /

3. PF Alen Smailagic

Even with the obvious need for ready-made, instant-impact depth, the Warriors still decided to stick to their guns and select Serbian big man Alen Smailagic with the 39th overall selection.

Golden State had been eyeing him since before last season and had been impressed with his play last year playing for their G-League affiliate down in Santa Cruz. But Smailagic is just 19-years-old and even served as the G-League youngest player in league history last season.

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Simply put, he won’t exactly be expected to contribute significant minutes right away.

Because of that, many anticipated that the Warriors would sign Smailagic to a two-way contract allowing the young Serbian to hone his craft some more with Santa Cruz. But Golden State appeared to give him a vote of confidence when they signed him to the active roster.

Now, this still doesn’t mean that they expect Smailagic to play most of the season with the big-league club. In fact, it’s more than likely that he spends most of his rookie season down in the G-League being primed for future success.

What this does mean is that Smailagic is no longer limited to just 45 days up with the Warriors. If they so desire, he could spend the entirety of the season — or as much time as needed — on the active roster.

Still, don’t expect to see much of Smailagic this season even with his regular-season contract. And given his age and limited experience, that’s probably for the best.

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