With the preseason finally here, we actually have something new to evaluate and look at when it comes to the New Orleans Pelicans. I recently wrote about the decision that head coach Willie Green will have to make when it comes to the starting center spot: will he go with the veteran in Kevon Looney, or will he go with the second-year big man Yves Missi? And while these two are the centers stealing all the headlines for this team, I wanna shine some light on Karlo Matković.
The 24-year-old big man is entering his 2nd season in the NBA in 2025-26. He has a unique skillset as a solid athlete, floor spacer, good rebounder, and solid defender, all while being 6’10”.
With Derik Queen being sidelined from training camp and likely the start of the regular season because of a wrist injury, Matković has had the opportunity to earn a spot in New Orleans' big rotation. And he’s made the most of it.
During some of the training camp content, the Pelicans social team has been rolling out that Matkovic has been playing the five with the expected starters, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Jordan Poole, and Trey Murphy III. We’ve also seen Looney mention Matković during some of his media availability.
There’s no reason for Willie Green to waste time in practice having Matković out there with the starter if it’s not a lineup he plans on running this year. There’s also zero reason for Looney to mention Matković if he hasn’t been someone standing out during practices and scrimmages.
Could he be a staple in the rotation this season?
In the Pelicans' summer league opener against Melbourne United, Matković was really solid, finishing the game with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 1 steal in 16 minutes. This stat line is a perfect example of the type of player Matković is at this point in his career; he’s someone who has a versatile skillset that allows him to impact the game in a multitude of ways.
In this game, he shot 0/2 from beyond the arc, but that’s not a bad thing. It shows that he has confidence in his shot and is trusted by the coaching staff to let it fly from three. Last season in his seven starts, he shot 38 percent from three.
With Matković being a solid defender as well as a floor spacer, I think he’ll get plenty of run this season. His style of play allows him to fit into a plethora of different lineup combinations.
He can play the four in a situation where the Pelicans run double big or play the five when they want some floor spacing. He brings something that New Orleans doesn't have off the bench, which could make him a staple in Green's rotation this season.
I am extremely hyped to see what Karlo Matković can do in the rest of the preseason for the Pelicans as It looks like they may have a diamond in the rough.