Spurs Select F Luka Samanic in the 2019 NBA Draft (19th Overall)

[ZeusWillJudge]

Some people wonder why NFL players continue to run hard downfield on kickoffs when it is obvious that the ball is out of play... Because there is no loafing in football by mostly bench players who are part of the suicide kickoff team. Luka clearly wasn't going to catch the faster player going for the basket ahead of him--but you have to play like you want to try when you aren't a starter.

"We're paying you almost 3 million dollars to mostly sit and learn. At least give us 100% during the few minutes you are on the floor."


People can say what they want, but there were a lot of people here who talked about Sammich's lack of effort and at ude before that draft. I don't remember any of them questioning his talent level - just his willingness to work and compete. PATFO got this one wrong.

Somehow I don't think the Knicks dropped him because he went to clubs.

[Dex]

His motor sucked. Zero heart or desire to win. At least that’s how it came off. There were rumors his work ethic was . I remember the last straw being this play against Orlando where he just completely quit on the play. He was cut the next day. Wasted pick but whatever. PATFO took a swing at least, even if it was a miss. Just glad we got Keldon out of that draft.

Yeah, I don't think Luka was waived because this one play in particular, but it definitely seemed to be one of the straws that broke the camel's back. It was all just part of a pattern.

Bad at ude, bad work ethic, a seeming sense of en lement...and the fact that nobody on the team really seemed to rally around him. This team always seems to try to build each other up, and Luka just didn't seem to fit in that fold....oh, and there is the fact that he just wasn't very good at NBA basketball.

Like I said in the other thread...if you can't even make it on the Knicks GLeague team, you probably don't have much of a future in this league.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Yeah, I don't think Luka was waived because this one play in particular, but it definitely seemed to be one of the straws that broke the camel's back. It was all just part of a pattern.

Bad at ude, bad work ethic, a seeming sense of en lement...and the fact that nobody on the team really seemed to rally around him. This team always seems to try to build each other up, and Luka just didn't seem to fit in that fold....oh, and there is the fact that he just wasn't very good at NBA basketball.

Like I said in the other thread...if you can't even make it on the Knicks GLeague team, you probably don't have much of a future in this league.

I haven't seen any of this myself but I saw it said online once or twice that he is kinda conservative, and so this would align.

[jjspur]

Just for grins lets see where he ends up next year. Will he still be be the en led, lazy, somewhat talented euro slacker or will he admit to himself that he messed up and try for the NBA again and hopefully get picked up by a club in need of a big man with some talent. I'm sure someone on this board will be tracking his career. Some players get lots of chances, but they usually have specific talents or have displayed real NBA level talent at some point in their career. The cir stances may not have been right and they get cut, but wasn't always for lack of talent or effort.
Lets see if the NBA gives him another chance or is he destined to go back to Europe.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Even in his draft profile on draft express they stated that he wouldn’t work as hard defensively if he didn’t get shots he thought he should have on offense while playing in Europe. That’s a big character flag right there and it definitely manifested itself his first g league season. Dude would visibly pout on the court when he didn’t get the ball on offense.

his second season in the G league he played a lot better and gave better effort all around but the offense was definitely geared more towards him. His basic counting stats were good but he wasn’t that efficient his second season in the g league also. I watched a lot of his g league games and I was rooting for us to actually draft him (I was hoping we would get him later in the draft though) the year we did.

I say all that to say this…… I was very disappointed with how this guy turned out but I can kinda understand why they cut him because it was kinda obvious he was some what en led and thought he was better than he actually was. Some guys can’t accept that they aren’t the big dog anymore and that to stay in the NBA you might have to accept a role.

[RC_Drunkford]

Even in his draft profile on draft express they stated that he wouldn’t work as hard defensively if he didn’t get shots he thought he should have on offense while playing in Europe. That’s a big character flag right there and it definitely manifested itself his first g league season. Dude would visibly pout on the court when he didn’t get the ball on offense.

his second season in the G league he played a lot better and gave better effort all around but the offense was definitely geared more towards him. His basic counting stats were good but he wasn’t that efficient his second season in the g league also. I watched a lot of his g league games and I was rooting for us to actually draft him (I was hoping we would get him later in the draft though) the year we did.

I say all that to say this…… I was very disappointed with how this guy turned out but I can kinda understand why they cut him because it was kinda obvious he was some what en led and thought he was better than he actually was. Some guys can’t accept that they aren’t the big dog anymore and that to stay in the NBA you might have to accept a role.

except Samanic was never a big dog, he was always garbage. I don't know what Pop and RC heard at that dinner they had with him to think otherwise. He flashed potential, but is clearly not an NBA player

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

except Samanic was never a big dog, he was always garbage. I don't know what Pop and RC heard at that dinner they had with him to think otherwise. He flashed potential, but is clearly not an NBA player

he won awards and such in different foreign leagues and he was one of the better players on the team he was on before being drafted by the SPURS.

So when I say big dog I’m not necessarily talking star but he was highly favored on a decent amount of the teams he played for in the past pecking order. With us he wasn’t high on the pecking order and he didn’t know how to adjust. We literally seen the scenario play out the season before in the G League. He didn’t play as hard on the team when Keldon was up in Austin with him. He has awful body language also his 1st season in Austin. His second season they ran the offense through him and he played was harder on both ends and his body language was a lot better also.

so yes, he wasn’t some star or can’t miss prospect but he was highly favored on a decent amount (especially his last team before being drafted) of the teams he played for while there.

[RC_Drunkford]

he won awards and such in different foreign leagues and he was one of the better players on the team he was on before being drafted by the SPURS.

So when I say big dog I’m not necessarily talking star but he was highly favored on a decent amount of the teams he played for in the past pecking order. With us he wasn’t high on the pecking order and he didn’t know how to adjust. We literally seen the scenario play out the season before in the G League. He didn’t play as hard on the team when Keldon was up in Austin with him. He has awful body language also his 1st season in Austin. His second season they ran the offense through him and he played was harder on both ends and his body language was a lot better also.

so yes, he wasn’t some star or can’t miss prospect but he was highly favored on a decent amount (especially his last team before being drafted) of the teams he played for while there.

he played in the 2nd league of Slovenia. Do you know how bad that is? For example Nikola Jovic plays in the merger league of all the top teams of former Yugoslavia, which is one of the best leagues in the world. Samanic's highest average in Slovenia's 2nd league was 8.6 PPG. Highschool players could average 20 there.

[Mr. Body]

Samanic had promising things about hm. He has a good frame and athleticism for that frame. He definitely had some skills - a good shooter, etc. Imagine him with even an ounce of work ethic or respect for the game. He'd be promising, really. He's just a surly malcontent who is stuck on himself.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

he played in the 2nd league of Slovenia. Do you know how bad that is? For example Nikola Jovic plays in the merger league of all the top teams of former Yugoslavia, which is one of the best leagues in the world. Samanic's highest average in Slovenia's 2nd league was 8.6 PPG. Highschool players could average 20 there.

i think you’re totally miss understanding the premise of my posts. I thought I did a better job of explaining what I was trying to say with my initial response to you but obviously I did not.

I am basically saying that Samanic had a hard time not being one of the main players offensively because almost all of the teams he played for (no matter how good or bad the league was) in the past he was one of, if not the main guy. aka the BIG DOG…..

a lot of players have a hard time adjusting to becoming a role player and that is a huge reason why some talented players can never make or stay in the NBA for long.

[John B]

KBD playing much better than him helped Samanic packing

[exstatic]

KBD playing much better than him helped Samanic packing

I was pretty sure Sammich was in trouble when they converted KBDs second year from a 2Way to an NBA contract.

[jjspur]

KBD playing much better than him helped Samanic packing

KBD is a real pro. Even with is middling skillset, he always gives a total effort and does what Pop asks of him and then some - and doesn't complain. Pop really appreciates players who give 110% effort, that's why he is still on the team and Palooka Sandwich is probably headed back to a 2nd tier league in eastern Europe.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Keita Bates Diop I feel should’ve gotten more minutes than he actually did this season.

Like stated above by jjspur, he always gives 110%. Is a solid defender, moves well off the ball on offense, and does what the coaching staff needs him to do.

[The Truth #6]

In retrospect, shouldn’t have picked him, obviously. Arguably, and paradoxically, should have played him more to try and save some semblance of value in a trade scenario, but that wasn’t happening. My point has always been that it was a shared failure and everyone wants to completely blame Luka. As Zeus suggested, his character issues weren’t a secret to NBA teams. Kind of funny that a team that prioritizes character would end up in this situation. Anyway, move on.

[RC_Drunkford]

i think you’re totally miss understanding the premise of my posts. I thought I did a better job of explaining what I was trying to say with my initial response to you but obviously I did not.

I am basically saying that Samanic had a hard time not being one of the main players offensively because almost all of the teams he played for (no matter how good or bad the league was) in the past he was one of, if not the main guy. aka the BIG DOG…..

a lot of players have a hard time adjusting to becoming a role player and that is a huge reason why some talented players can never make or stay in the NBA for long.

I totally understood that and I'm saying to you that he wasn't. He wasn't even a starter in the slovenian league and was 7th in PPG on that team. That's not a main offensive option. The only place where he was was in Austin

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

I totally understood that and I'm saying to you that he wasn't. He wasn't even a starter in the slovenian league and was 7th in PPG on that team. That's not a main offensive option. The only place where he was was in Austin

I looked at the minutes and shot attempts per game for Union Olympia his last year and I apologize and stand corrected. You are 100% correct.

[exstatic]

In retrospect, shouldn’t have picked him, obviously. Arguably, and paradoxically, should have played him more to try and save some semblance of value in a trade scenario, but that wasn’t happening. My point has always been that it was a shared failure and everyone wants to completely blame Luka. As Zeus suggested, his character issues weren’t a secret to NBA teams. Kind of funny that a team that prioritizes character would end up in this situation. Anyway, move on.

Hindsight is 20/20, and at his age, it’s hard to tell if the issues are maturity related, or bad personality. We found out.

At 19, it’s Not a bad thing to take a swing, even if you miss.

[RC_Drunkford]

I looked at the minutes and shot attempts per game for Union Olympia his last year and I apologize and stand corrected. You are 100% correct.

that's why I'm way more confident with Nikola Jovic. He puts up 11.8 PPG in one of the best leagues in Europe. It's just that his defense is questionable

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

that's why I'm way more confident with Nikola Jovic. He puts up 11.8 PPG in one of the best leagues in Europe. It's just that his defense is questionable

i like him with one of our later 1st also.

He played well in the under 19 tournament also. His shooting splits this season started off bad but he has slowly brought them back up

he plays more like a 3 than a 4 though. I like his game but I wonder how it will translate.

[NickiRasgo]

Nikola Jovic is the one I wanted for the Raptors pick if still available but this pick (Luka Samanic), is still traumatic and there's a chance that it might be a meme again:

"We want a Luka/Nikola (pertains to Donkic and Jokic) at home"
"We already have a Luka/Nikola at home"
"The Luka/Nikola at home"

And Spurs are probably quite hesitant to draft another international players for the meantime esp. they're aren't hitting a lotto anymore. Quite surprising that the last international player they drafted who panned out is Goran Dragic and they traded him then there's Adam Hanga, Livio Jean-Charles, Nikola Milutinov and Luka Samanic.

To be fair with Nikola Jovic comparing how he plays in the videos I've watched is that he's way better and looks stud compared to Luka Samanic. He has the potential to be a great player in the NBA as long as he has the at ude and work-ethic to help himself. His weaknesses are not that bad.

[RC_Drunkford]

Nikola Jovic is the one I wanted for the Raptors pick if still available but this pick (Luka Samanic), is still traumatic and there's a chance that it might be a meme again:

"We want a Luka/Nikola (pertains to Donkic and Jokic) at home"
"We already have a Luka/Nikola at home"
"The Luka/Nikola at home"

And Spurs are probably quite hesitant to draft another international players for the meantime esp. they're aren't hitting a lotto anymore. Quite surprising that the last international player they drafted who panned out is Goran Dragic and they traded him then there's Adam Hanga, Livio Jean-Charles, Nikola Milutinov and Luka Samanic.

To be fair with Nikola Jovic comparing how he plays in the videos I've watched is that he's way better and looks stud compared to Luka Samanic. He has the potential to be a great player in the NBA as long as he has the at ude and work-ethic to help himself. His weaknesses are not that bad.

He plays in a league that's totally different from where Samanic played. Slovenia has at best the 3rd best league in the balkans and he came off the bench in the 2nd league. Jovic is a starter in a merger league with all the top teams from the balkans. That's like 3 levels above of where Luka played.

[NickiRasgo]

He plays in a league that's totally different from where Samanic played. Slovenia has at best the 3rd best league in the balkans and he came off the bench in the 2nd league. Jovic is a starter in a merger league with all the top teams from the balkans. That's like 3 levels above of where Luka played.

Thanks for sharing. I guess Spurs did a poor job scouting him - relied mostly for his tools and potential.

But I guess, Jovic will be gone by 15-18th range.

[Seventyniner]

It's a lot easier to take a big gamble at 21 when you also have the 9th and 24th picks, for example.

The Spurs had #29 in the same draft as Samanic, which imo gave them a reason to take a flier at #19. Keldon has been a fantastic fallback pick.

[ZeusWillJudge]

Just for grins lets see where he ends up next year. Will he still be be the en led, lazy, somewhat talented euro slacker or will he admit to himself that he messed up and try for the NBA again and hopefully get picked up by a club in need of a big man with some talent. I'm sure someone on this board will be tracking his career. Some players get lots of chances, but they usually have specific talents or have displayed real NBA level talent at some point in their career. The cir stances may not have been right and they get cut, but wasn't always for lack of talent or effort.
Lets see if the NBA gives him another chance or is he destined to go back to Europe.

It's pretty unusual for a team not to exercise the 4th year of a rookie contract - especially one drafted as high as Samanic. It's really rare to see one just let go after two seasons, and the team eat the third year of his salary. Outside of some terrible injury, I can't remember seeing it happen. I'm sure it has, and someone here can probably dig one up. But it's really unusual, and you have to really want to get rid of a guy to do that.