Andrea Trinchieri Criticizes Alen Smailagic’s Performance After Zalgiris Kaunas Loss
Zalgiris Kaunas head coach Andrea Trinchieri expressed anger with big man Alen Smailagic following the team’s 88-91 loss to rivals Rytas Vilnius in the Lithuanian League (LKL), the team’s first defeat of the season.
Following the game, Trinchieri was blunt about Smailagic’s performance, saying, “He’s playing poorly. He’s slow with everything. He needs to find his game and catch up with the team; we’re not waiting for him.” The 24-year-old Serbian, who joined Zalgiris from Partizan Belgrade this summer, scored five points in 11.5 minutes in the derby.
Early Season Struggles and EuroLeague Smailagic’s effect at Zalgiris has been limited since his debut. He played only 4:25 minutes in his EuroLeague debut against FC Barcelona on Thursday and did not score. Over four games in the Lithuanian League, he has averaged 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and a 7.5 efficiency rating, while playing 14:20 minutes per game.
Smailagic has high expectations
According to Jonas Leksas of Krepsinis.net, Smailagic is presently the highest-paid player on the Zalgiris team, raising expectations for his performance and adding to Trinchieri’s public criticism. The Serbian forward will need to improve his form to match his position and money on the team.
