2025-26 Season

KARLO MATKOVIĆ

New Orleans Pelicans | Forward-Center | 6-10

2025-26 Season

KARLO MATKOVIĆ

New Orleans Pelicans | Forward-Center | 6-10 | Yr 1

5.7 PPG

3.7 RPG

0.8 APG

14.7 MPG

-4.4 Impact

Matković produces at an below average rate for a 15-minute workload.

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NET IMPACT BREAKDOWN

Every stat, every credit, every cost — per game average

-4.4

Scoring +5.3

Points 5.7 PPG = +4.3

Shot Making above expected FG% = +1.0

Creation +0.2

Creation 0.8 AST/g = +0.2

Turnovers -1.4

Turnovers 0.5/g = -1.4

Defense -0.5

Defense 0.4 STL, 0.9 BLK = -0.5

Hustle & Effort +3.2

Rebounds 3.7 RPG = +3.2

Raw Impact +6.8

Baseline (game-average expected) −11.2

Net Impact

-4.4

22th pctl vs Forwards

PBP Credit: Every play is analyzed from play-by-play data. Scorers get difficulty-adjusted credit, assisters get creation value based on the shot opportunity they created, and turnovers are classified by type. Shot difficulty is derived from 1M+ shots across 4 seasons. Full methodology

TEAM COMPARISON

#13

Impact

#10

Creation

Hustle

#14

Defense

of 16 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)

Trey Murphy III +13.1 Zion Williamson +11.9 Saddiq Bey +11.0 Dejounte Murray +2.7 Derik Queen +0.9 Jeremiah Fears -0.4 DeAndre Jordan -1.0 Jordan Poole -1.9 Bryce McGowens -2.4 Kevon Looney -2.5 Herbert Jones -2.6 Yves Missi -2.8 Karlo Matković -3.3 Jose Alvarado -3.5 Jordan Hawkins -5.6 Micah Peavy -6.4

Similar Players

Same position, closest production profile this season.

SKILL DNA

Percentile rank vs 234 Forwards with 10+ games

Scoring 24th

6.0 PPG

Efficiency 100th

74.3% TS

Playmaking 14th

0.9 APG

Rebounding 45th

3.9 RPG

Defense 10th

+4.2/g

Hustle 43th

+11.4/g

Creation 55th

+2.50/g

Shot Making 12th

+2.79/g

TO Discipline 73th

0.04/min

THE SEASON SO FAR

Karlo Matković’s first twenty games were defined by extreme volatility as a fringe rotation big, swinging wildly between hyper-efficient sparkplug and unplayable liability. When he embraced his role, the results were staggering. Look at his performance on 11/04 vs CHA, where elite rim-running and decisive pick-and-roll finishing yielded 13 points and a massive +10.6 impact score. He could even swing a game without looking at the basket. On 11/16 vs GSW, Matković scored just 4 points in 20 minutes but still posted a +2.4 impact score by sacrificing offensive touches to anchor the defense and provide elite rim protection. However, severe hidden costs often erased his value on off nights.

Karlo Matković spent this twenty-game stretch as a highly volatile bench piece, swinging wildly between surgical interior dominance and costly mental errors. He opened the window scorching hot during the 01/02 vs POR matchup, turning 7-of-8 shooting into 16 points and a massive +14.3 impact score. Even when his offense vanished, he still found ways to alter games through sheer hustle and rim protection. During the 01/31 vs PHI contest, he scored just 2 points but still posted a +5.3 impact by acting as an absolute terror on defense and completely shutting down the interior. Yet, that defensive discipline frequently disappeared on other nights. Despite tallying a respectable 7 points in the 02/04 vs MIL game, his overall impact sank to -1.4. Careless moving screens and a bad habit of biting on perimeter fakes completely erased the value of his interior finishing.

This stretch was defined by a masterclass in hyper-efficient, low-usage role-playing that eventually ran out of gas. Matković routinely generated massive value without demanding the basketball. On 02/28 vs UTA, he scored just 8 points but posted a stellar +8.6 impact by suffocating opponents with defensive dominance and active passing. He reached his absolute peak on 03/16 vs DAL. By stepping out to bury pick-and-pop jumpers, he completely altered the floor's geometry, yielding 13 points, 10 rebounds, and a staggering +14.4 impact score. That flawless execution eventually vanished. During a brutal outing on 03/19 vs LAC, he bricked all six of his field goal attempts. Being an absolute zero on the offensive end severely punished his team, resulting in a dismal -5.5 impact despite respectable hustle metrics.

IMPACT TIMELINE

Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.

Best Game

13 PTS vs DAL

Mar 16 | +12.7 impact

Worst Game

0 PTS vs LAC

Nov 01 | -15.2 impact

PATTERNS

Inconsistent. Matković has clear good-night/bad-night splits, with scoring swinging ~4 points between games. You're never quite sure which version shows up.

Middle-of-the-road efficiency — shoots 45%+ from the field in 65% of games. Not automatic, but not a problem either.

Defensive difference-maker. Matković consistently forces tough shots and protects the rim — opponents shoot worse when he's guarding them.

Getting better as the season goes on. First-half impact: -6.1, second-half: -2.8. That's a significant jump — could be a role change, confidence, or development clicking.

Tends to go on runs. Longest hot streak: 3 games. Longest cold streak: 6 games.

MATCHUP HISTORY

Based on 65 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.