Karlo Matkovic Flying High For Croatia In World Cup Qualifiers

New Orleans Pelicans fans, starved for basketball content, were ablaze on Thursday as highlights from center Yves Missi's performance with the Cameroon national team made the rounds, but he's not the only Pelicans big man creating highlights in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

When Karlo Matkovic is providing a spark of energy for New Orleans off the bench, he is suiting up for the Croatian National Team. He returned to the court for his team on Thursday. Like Missi, he looked more than ready for the NBA season to begin.

In just under 17 minutes of action, Matkovic posted 17 points with an assist. Those 17 points came off a perfect 8-for-8 from the field with one three. Ironically, he missed the only free throw that he took.

Matkovic didn't start, but that just goes to show exactly what he can bring to a team. While he hasn't been able to put that together over long stretches or in a consistent NBA role yet, he has certainly shown the ability to take games over.

Last season, for example, there was a performance against the Charlotte Hornets where he came off the bench to drop 13 points with six rebounds and a block on 6-of-7 from the field over 15 minutes. That was a four-point win where he was a +13. They don't win that game without him and the bench mob fighting back.

Matkovic is the most electric dunker on the team and is the only big who can shoot the ball right now. While he is making just under $2.3 million, he is invaluable to this coaching staff and front office.

Teams around the NBA have approached the Pelicans in the past about trading the big man, but they have not been willing to move on from him. No one is going to be willing to part with more than a pair of second-round picks, so there is no real upside to trading him away.

It'll be interesting to see what Jamahl Mosley and his staff are able to get out of him, as he has a ton of defensive potential thanks to his size and athleticism. He is already a valuable offensive weapon.

This tournament setup is perfect for both New Orleans and Matkovic. He is further down the rotation, so getting him any competitive minutes is a plus. On top of that, he gets to take more precedence on offense on the National Team. The early results are exactly what everyone involved wants to see.