Karlo Matkovic talks Progress, Summer League | New Orleans Pelicans

Karlo Matkovic talks Progress, Summer League | New Orleans Pelicans

how was this the first game for you here well first game you know this is my third summer league so I’m probably like more used to it than the others but uh good game like good startup uh lost we didn’t win that of course but like I think the physicality Point like the turnovers Second Chance points and stuff like that I think got us but like let’s say five on five defense on half court I think was good just those turnovers and easy buckets on the other end like finish the game for them pretty much so even when we up two we didn’t feel like we’re up two so stuff like that we got to keep off for the next game and like be better just stack days and that’s it you mentioned the physicality I know last summer got a lot of fouls um but this year seems like you’re doing a little bit better with that so how have you just adjusted to the game well just learning the game watching the film uh lots of film just learn the game and practice um that’s that’s that’s it pretty much getting strong a little bit not getting pushed around and that’s it talking to the guys communication I think it’s like one of the things you know like not going before the screen and stuff like that hands up you know be my cylinder and stuff like that you get got to watch the field and learn and put it on the court people fans of the team have been tracking you obviously for the last two years since you were drafted in 2022 and I remember you playing summer league that year if you can remember back to that what do you think are some of the biggest areas that you’ve improved or developed over those two years since you were drafted well I think most of a body and shooting and then understanding the game well you know you got to translate from Europe Europe basketball to NBA basketball it’s faster more physical more athletic so just adjusting to that I think that was like one of the big points in the in the learning when you talk about improving your body is it just getting stronger conditioning what I think both like I’m at 260 now around 255 260 that’s what where we about so I was like when I came in I was like 240 250 like so I think that stuff you know helped a lot move moving the same so that I think that’s like the level you got to keep and just the conditioning part what you say got to be on the top level when you talk about shooting have you from two years ago have you improved like your range are you more comfortable taking jumpers two years ago I didn’t shoot any threes this year back in Europe I shot Euro Cup like 40% IA same and then came in here 33% but like 10 games only not too many shots but still I felt confident with it shooting it coach allow me DJ said like when you open shoot it don’t force nothing Let The Game come to you and that how it was how much did the g-league experience to help you well I was like we didn’t know what to expect you know like since the summer league how it was you know like you got to be like honest with you like how this past summer league looked I expected the same kind of but off of that season in Europe that I had real good I would say just like translated to the same game maybe a bit faster but I I had a really good teat with me next to me and coaches that did a really good job sting me in the place that I should be and I really like you know I think it did really good job like sending my game from Europe to USA and just like translating to it people say a lot of times that summer league the style of play is like more tailored to guards than it is bigs but I mean how did you what did you think of like what you did yesterday as far as it was there was times where it was fast-paced and you were getting up and down the floor and making a lot of plays well look it is true that’s like more of a guard play because like guards push a lot of transition that want to finish to the basket you know but for me I just want to go from the defensive and I let the game come to me uh the problem is like you have like four four practices before like before the game you just meet the new new teammates first time playing with them some dudes didn’t even be on court together because like four practice couldn’t like match right five right so you find to find like that good five that’s going to run the core good chemistry and stuff so like I think like first game can be sloppy second game you’re trying to like fix the problems you had in first game and like trying to stay to the second game so stuff like that I think that’s the spirit of the summer league you know like a little bit sloppy some teams get it quicker some teams not so do you think you’ve made Improvement in terms of shot blocking from compared to like a couple years ago as far as getting used to the style of play and stuff like that I think yeah because like what we said before like fouls and stuff like keeping my hands up like like you don’t have to like really like go for the block block you can just leave your hands up stay on the ground strong sometimes going to come to your hands either way but just like being like you know present there focused like just that Parts you know like even chase down blocks you just got to like try to get the ball but not force anything you know the more you force it easier to get into F trouble slab the hand just like you know trying to be like focused on the stuff you got to do be in your cylinder and stuff like that they help you mentioned Chason blocks was that one of the better Chase on blocks you had yesterday in the fourth I just like how I like hustle back I would say that like block is right but just I like the hustle that I did it’s like we me and hog didn’t communicate right threw the ball chase the back just like for the hustle point and then got the block luckily finish the under end just like like coach says energy energy finds you you know so

New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic’s post-practice interview at 2024 NBA Summer League on July 13.
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