Luka Samanic
Page updated as of 4/12/2020, scouting report written by Alan Lu.
2019 rankings were finalized on 6/19/2019.
Height: 6-10
Weight: 210
Country: Croatia
Professional Team: Union Olimpija
Classification: International ’00
Birthdate: 1/9/2000
2019 Top 100 Prospect Rank: 31
Projected Draft Range: Late 1st to 2nd Round
2019 NBA Draft: Round 1, Pick 19 by the San Antonio Spurs
Pros:
Good scorer off the dribble
Fairly good low post scorer
Excels at scoring on the move
Decent shooter, has stretch big potential
Decent playmaker that can show good court vision
Fairly good rebounder
Decent defensive player
Good athlete
Good size to play multiple positions
Cons:
Inconsistent shooter
Can be turnover prone
His effort on defense can lag at times
Not an elite shot blocker
Must get stronger
Can be too inconsistent in games
Summary:
Luka Samanic is a skilled big man that could project into being a versatile scoring player that can rebound and block shots. He’s played fairly well this season for Union Olimpija in multiple professional leagues. However, last year he really struggled in limited playing time during the 2017-18 season when he played in the LEB Gold, which is a second division league in Spain.
Then again, he also played last year for Barcelona, who according to Nets Daily, had a negative reputation of not playing their prospects if they had any chances to get to the NBA. Some notable examples include Rodions Kurucs having barely played in the ACB, and Aleksandar Vezenkov’s playing time mysteriously dropped despite having been a very efficient player in that league. More specifically, Samanic played for FC Barcelona II, and despite numerous draft sites ranking him as a potential first round pick for 2019, his team did not call up Samanic to the Spanish ACB League last season.
So far, Luka Samanic has played significantly better this season, as he is now getting a reasonable amount of playing time and he is finally playing in an organization that is actively trying to develop his skills rather than playing for a team that just stashes him at the end of the bench in professional basketball. He’s shown an improvement in his scoring efficiency and rebounding for Union Olimpija, and Samanic is an intriguing prospect that could perhaps develop into an effective role player in the NBA similar to a Terry Mills type.
Links:
Nets Daily Article on Barcelona’s Problem with NBA Prospects
Games Scouted:
9/28/18 Union Olimpija vs. Mornar
10/9/18 Union Olimpija vs. Strasbourg IG
1/4/19 Union Olimpija vs. KK Zadar
5/16/19 NBA Draft Combine Scrimmage Game
If you use any portion of this material, please credit NBA Scouting Live.
