The New Orleans Pelicans kick off training camp in just a few weeks, which means it is time to start preparations for the season. As the roster comes into shape, it's important to take stock of where everyone is heading into camp.

Through just over 100 career games, Karlo Matkovic has become a fan favorite to watch off the bench and a sneakily effective rotational big. He may not see the floor for the Pelicans with starter minutes, but he's always impactful when his name is called.

Similar to Yves Missi, Matkovic saw his production go down in his second season, but the consensus is that his play was much better. He had 5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals/blocks per night on 14.7 minutes, but also on 60.4/42.2/73.3 shooting splits.

Hitting 42.2% on 1.5 threes per night isn't going to get him into All-Star weekend, but it was always crucial when he added even that little bit of spacing to the court. As long as he is giving effort, flying high and hitting threes, there will be space for him on an NBA roster.

This could be his last year in a New Orleans uniform, though, as he's entering his final season on a team option that was picked up at $2.3 million. The team would love him back, but he's also someone that other front offices could covet. This year could be about figuring out if the Pelicans want to invest in him long-term.

The big had the chance to play recently for the Croatian national team in the recent FIBA World Cup qualifiers. He put up 19 points and seven rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting in their final game. It was a perfect wave of momentum for him to enter camp with.

As with the other bigs on this New Orleans roster, Matkovic's largest opportunity for growth would be on the glass. He was a little under league average in terms of both offensive and defensive rebounding.

The 25-year-old is a great athlete and has the potential to be a solid defender. Again, similar to Missi, he is able to get up and block shots well. Both have been below average when it comes to play strength, however. It's a bit of a payoff for the other things that Matkovic does well, though.