Luka Samanic breaks out in San Antonio Spurs final regular season game

Luka Samanic had a big game during the San Antonio Spurs season finale

He waited until the very end of the regular season to do it but Luka Samanic has finally arrived for the San Antonio Spurs. He had a big night for San Antonio as they closed out their season against the Utah Jazz.

The Spurs playoff hopes were already dashed before they tipped off so we expected them to try something new but it was still a surprise to see Luka in the starting lineup. He had hardly seen the floor during San Antonio’s first seven games in Orlando and was suddenly being featured in a prominent role.

It was the first time that Samanic had received substantial playing time all season and he certainly made the most of it. His performance tonight helped validate the high hopes Spurs fans have for the promising rookie and gave us all something extra to look forward to next year.

Luka Samanic and Keldon Johnson steal the show for San Antonio Spurs

With DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay sitting out, it was the rookies’ time to shine. Keldon Johnson and Luka Samanic stole the show for the San Antonio Spurs. Johnson has been the more hyped rookie as of late, for good reason, but Samanic finally had his coming out party tonight.

Luka’s versatility on the offensive end was what really excited Spurs fans as we watched him grind away in the G-League throughout his rookie year and he put all of his talents on display tonight. He finished the evening with 16 points on a solid 5-10 from the field and 3-5 from behind the arc. He was aggressive in looking for his own shot but looked out for his teammates as well, dishing out 3 assists in his 31 minutes of play.

No hesitation ?@SamanicLuka | #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/5ROFJBApni

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) August 14, 2020

Luka had shown a willingness to let it fly in the limited minutes he’d played this year and that stayed the same tonight. The difference was he was actually knocking down his shots. His ability to sustain that kind of shooting from outside next season would be pivotal for the Spurs’ offensive potential. With Rudy Gay’s contract expiring at the end of next season the team will soon be looking for another floor stretching forward to absorb his minutes. Samanic looked like the perfect candidate for that position tonight.

Spurs rookies typically don’t get much playing time so it wasn’t surprising to see Samanic and Johnson cut their teeth in the G-Leauge. When they finally did get a chance to play serious minutes they opened the eyes of all Spurs fans as to what the future might hold for our favorite team.

The bubble Spurs have been running and gunning and having fun doing it. With a top ten offense and playing at one of the fastest paces in the league, the Spurs have matched their offense to their talent, perfectly playing into the potential that Samanic presents on that end of the floor.

He’s able to grab a rebound, push the pace, and create for himself or his teammates. It’s easy to picture him running the floor with Johnson, Lonnie Walker, and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs young core.

It took a while for him to get his moment to shine but Luka Samanic finally showed San Antonio Spurs why they should be very excited to see what he can bring to the team over the next few years.