When people in the New Orleans Pelicans community talk about the team's future, the names most often mentioned are Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, and Yves Missi. However, I think it's time to have a discussion about Karlo Matkovic joining the group of long-term pieces.
Early in the season, Matkovic bounced in and out of the team's rotation, but since the New Year, he has become a staple for interim head coach James Borrego. Matkovic blends monster size with physicality and skill, making him, in a way, the ideal modern NBA big man. The 24-year-old can step outside and hit a jumper, can protect the basket, run the floor and catch lobs, set screens, and make the smart reads as a passer.
After a strong end to last season, Matkovic has built on it this season, and the potential he has at minimum as a long-term rotational piece can't be ignored by the Pelicans faithful.
Karlo Matkovic is making a case as a long-term piece
Since the All-Star break, the Pelicans are 8-5 and have climbed their way all the way past the Dallas Mavericks and up to the 12 seed out West, and Matkovic has played a big role in that. Over the team's last five games, he's averaging 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting an unbelievable 83.2 percent from the field and a perfect 100 percent from three. Matkovic's biggest strength all season has been his ability to find quality shots and take only high-quality shots, which has led to his very efficient shooting numbers.
Over the course of his 55 appearances this season, he's shooting 63.1 percent from the field, 47.9 percent from three, and is in the 99th percentile in corner three percentage among bigs, according to Cleaning the Glass.
His shot-making and efficiency alone would be enough to make him a long-term piece. But when you factor in freaky athleticism for someone that's 6-foot-10, the options for using him offensively are virtually endless. The Pelicans can easily operate both pick-and-pops and pick-and-rolls with Matkovic, and as he improves, those scenarios will only become more deadly.
The soon-to-be 25-year-old is very far from a finished product, but when looking at the work and skills he already has, it's obvious he could be a real contributor long term for New Orleans. For a Pelicans team that's been hot recently and could be looking to make a push back into the playoff picture next season, having a reliable, efficient, versatile big off the bench in Matkovic would be a huge plus.