Tekst Draftexpressa o Samanicu nakon U18 Eurobasketa divizije B:
Samanic wins MVP, leads Croatia to title
Far and away the best long-term prospect to play in Tallinn, 16-year-old Luka Samanic helped Croatia to a Division B title, winning MVP while leading the entire event in player efficiency rating.
After a slow start, the 6-11 Zagreb native and Barcelona product finished the eight-game stretch with 27.9 points, 15.3 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.4 blocks per 40 minutes while making several big shots late in the title game on his way to 19 points. With the height of a center and the fluidity and one-foot bounce of a wing, Samanic has a valuable blend of physical gifts and polished skills. He projects as a perimeter-oriented 4 who can pick-and-pop, spot shoot at a decent clip, attack from the perimeter, make plays when in open space and finish with touch shots in the paint.
Samanic can switch ball screens at the U18 level and has sharp instincts defensively, although his up-and-down toughness and physicality can be very off-putting to scouts. When Samanic is fully engaged and playing with intensity, he looks the part of a future lottery pick, but when he's sulking on the bench and shying away from contact on the floor, it's easy to question whether he'll maximize his potential. Overall, Samanic did a nice job playing with fairly consistent fight and vigor and was unbelievably productive, especially considering his age.
The son of a former basketball journeyman and the current general manager of Croatian club KK Split, Samanic surprisingly didn't really get all that serious about basketball until 2015. Soccer was his first love until he physically outgrew the game, and he even had a short stint as a breakdancer before he fully committed to basketball.
Samanic is loaded with natural talent and should take another step in his development next season, his second with Barcelona. Depending on how this next year goes in Spain, Samanic is considering making the jump to the NCAA in the future. Although he's not a guaranteed one-and-done-level prospect, the skilled, athletic forward has eventual lottery potential if he lands in the right situation and continues to get stronger, tougher and more consistent in his approach.
[uredio Azor Ahai - 09. kolovoza 2017. u 15:00]