NBA Comparison: Isaiah Hartenstein

Strengths: Athletic big with good size… Good body structure, with wide shoulders… A click above average length, with a wingspan measured at 7-0 feet… Very good feel for the game… Above average basketball I.Q… Plays with a good motor… Runs the floor well for a big… Good leaper off two feet… Light on his feet, can elevate quickly from the floor… Explosive finisher at the rim, likes to dunk the ball whenever he has the chance… Very good in Pick and Roll as the screener, rolls hard to the basket… Has shown potential as a passer in Short Rolls, mostly finding a cutter to the basket… Has been involved in handoff plays as a passer with mixed results… Has shown some glimpses as a shooter in Spot Up and Pick and Pop situations… Good shooting mechanics, with a high release point… Stretch big potential, has shot well from mid-range in the sporadic chances he had… Fights to establish position in the Post… Has an above average footwork in the post, can turn from either shoulder when he is posting up… Moves well without the ball… Good rebounder on both ends of the floor, but especially on the offensive end, renewing possessions or his team… Solid rim protector… Good weak side defender, can come out of nowhere and make a block… Good recovery ability in the perimeter if he gets crossed …

Weaknesses: He is still raw around the edges… He is kind of lean for a center and must add some weight on his upper body to stand on the next level… He hasn’t really expanded his game… Can’t really create his own offense other than some Post Up plays… There has actually been a pretty small sample of him shooting from the perimeter… He should extend his range all the way to the 3-point line… Inconsistent shooter for now… Must improve his Face Up game to expand his game… He has problems when he is Posting Up against physical opponents and should add some more moves in his arsenal, like an Up and Under… At times he finds it difficult to finish plays through traffic… Must add some finesse in his game on finishing at the rim then he is contested… Careless passer when he is Posting Up, can make some bad passes that lead to turnovers… Foul prone… “Bites” on fakes chasing for blocks, which can either lead to a foul or an easy basket… Lateral quickness is not completely there, which causes him problems when he is guarding in the perimeter… His hips are kind of stiff, needs a little mobility…

Outlook: Karlo Matkovic is a late bloomer, who had a breakout season, surprising some scouts, but not all of them, who knew that he was an interesting prospect… The Croatian big is an athletic center, who loves to play the Pick and Roll and has shown some glimpses as a shooter and a passer in Short rolls, while he also protects the basket… His flaws are clear, since he is still kind of raw on both ends of the floor and is prone to turnovers and fouls, but bigs always need more time to mature… If Matkovic manage to become a consistent shooter, then he could have a place in the NBA

Stefanos Makris 6/22/22