2019 NBA Mock Draft: Tankers beware
14. player. 73. . F/C. Croatia. Luka Samanic
Samanic looks more like a less athletic Marvin Bagley, someone who operates from the perimeter inward scoring the ball, but he’s nowhere near as effective doing it against international competition as Bagley was in the ACC.
For FC Barcelona’s lower-level squads this year, Samanic scored only eight points per game on 37 percent shooting. He was even worse from deep, making just 28 percent despite launching nearly three shots from deep per game. That’s the role he’s best in, he just hasn’t been effective doing it all season.
As Austin Green of FloHoops mentions, Samanic had high-major college offers on the table but turned them down to stay in Europe and develop as a professional. He averaged over 23 points and 11 rebounds in the Adidas Next Generation tournament in 2018 and was named MVP of the title game.
We will have to see what he does with an opportunity to earn minutes with FC Barcelona’s top team next year. If he can get on the court and produce, Samanic’s stock could be on the rise.