The New Orleans Pelicans are leaving NBA2k25 Summer League action without a win but the organization is not coming home completely empty-handed. There are plenty of lessons to learn from a winless venture in Las Vegas. EVP David Griffin and head coach Willie Green were just a few in attendance to see firsthand exactly what the franchise would be working with going into training camp.
One thing is for certain: Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones have to be ready. Dejounte Murray will not be the only person with a point to prove to the returning core. The varsity squad will get a group of training camp reserves ready to play with a chip on their shoulders after a 0-5 summer. Jordan Hawkins is under pressure to live up to a lottery-level investment, for example, and that was before a subpar performance in Sin City.
Antonio Reeves, Yves Missi, and Karlo Matkovic will have plenty to prove when the Pelicans start reconvening in September. It was a long trip with plenty of time to regroup thankfully. Still, any week in Las Vegas can be summed up with a profit/loss sheet. All things considered, the Pelicans did more than break even. Here are five takeaways that might help soften the blow of a winless summer and five that will linger until fall.
Pelicans bringing home major profits
Go big or go home because small gains are just teases. Always bet on the multiplier to maximize the jackpot. Well, the Pelicans needed a big man so they invested a first-round pick in 2024 while bringing over a 2022 draft-and-stash curiosity. Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic might not have won a game but they won over some worried fans back in New Orleans.
1. Karlo Matkovic can close games, which led to some True Detective-related jokes with one coach. Aaron Miles learned to lean on and trust Matkovic as the week progressed. The game-by-game growth and NBA readiness were too hard to ignore.
“Karlo got some potential. We talk about resiliency all the time and that's part of it. Next play mentality; next game mentality,” Miles said. “We challenged him to take care of the basketball and be productive. He was (against the Spurs) and he's been playing with a ton of energy the whole time. He knocked down a couple of threes and even in the times when we didn’t have anything going, he made some plays.”
2. Yves Missi will make opponents think twice before tossing up lazy floaters. The 20-year-old may be raw when it comes to refined basketball fundamentals. Missi's jump-out-the-gym athleticism will make fans forget all about Jaxson Hayes. The big man from Baylor was an upside pick with out-of-this-world potential. The doubters get a big dose of reality when Missi made a huge block and then ran the court for a dunk instead of celebrating perhaps the first highlight-worthy play as a professional.
3. Jordan Ford can help set the table for the Birmingham Squadron next season. The Pelicans might not get the chance to stash the next Jose Alvarado in their G-League system though. Ford was on a two-way with the Sacramento Kings last year and was one of the lone bright spots in every game New Orleans played.
4. Jordan Hawkins will never be afraid to take an open shot. There are dozens if not hundreds of things to worry about with any lottery pick. The Pelicans never have to worry about Hawkins wavering when opportunities are presented. That's a positive, right? Every poker player in Las Vegas has had Aces cracked. They still have to stay aggressive. Hawkins has to keep that mindset even if there is a mid-season (or sooner) change of scenery.
5. Antonio Reeves looks ready to help during the regular season because shooting and defense will always translate. Reeves has a smooth mid-range game and a floater that will remind fans of E'twuan ‘Uncle E' Moore. The Kentucky product had 18 points, five rebounds, and an assist in the Summer League finale. Calling the 23-year-old the next second-round gem is not hyperbole, just do not go for the full Herb Jones comparison. That's doubling down unnecessarily on what looks to be a great piece of draft business.
Jordan Hawkins has to eat losses in Las Vegas
The casinos do not keep the lights on by making everyone a winner. The Pelicans will have to eat some losses accrued in Las Vegas. They may not get another chance to change the narratives either, at least not until next summer. By then it may be too late for the Pelicans.
6. Jordan Hawkins is not a lead ball-handler. Turnovers were an issue in all five games and Hawkins did not help matters. Even on possessions that ended in missed shots, some never touched the rim. Hawkins threw up prayers instead of making the easy play. Perhaps the 22-year-old did not even see the play to be made. That's a bigger issue for the former UConn champion going into training camp. Winning battles against Jose Alvarado and Antonio Reeves will not be for the faint of heart.
7. Yves Missi‘s shot mechanics and ball handling are a work in progress. Catching passes were a problem. Still, Missi's ability to clean up around the restricted area should be a net positive. The rookie finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and three blocks, going against Memphis Grizzlies bigs Zach Edey and Trey Jemison. These were known negatives that were perhaps not as poor as some perceived. It goes down as a loss in the present but could become a win in the long term. EVP David Griffin cannot complain too much about this knock on the first-rounder.
8. Karlo Matkovic might not have the muscle to move divisional rivals. Starting, closing, stretch four, traditional five, it does not matter. Consider the matchups: Victor Wembanyama, Zach Edey, Dereck Lively II, Chet Holmgren, Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Matkovic did well enough against some NBA-level talent. He had problems with even European-bound talents built on bigger frames. The Pelicans have known this would be an issue for a while as well, per sources.
9. Turnovers and closing out games are problems that carried over from the regular season. The Pelicans were fourth in turnovers committed per game during NBA2k25 Summer League action. That is unacceptable when trotting out an NCAA champion-caliber guard. Hawkins coughed up 3.8 turnovers in just over 25 minutes per game. Matkovic gave away 2.8 possessions per game which killed any offensive flow. New Orleans had leads in the fourth quarter but not enough end-game decision-making quality to pull off a win.
10. Three-point shooting cannot come in spurts, both in volume and efficiency. The Pelicans need better consistency in both and that has been the case since Willie Green took over head coaching duties from Stan Van Gundy. Ford and Reeves were a combined 6-10 against the Memphis Grizzlies. The rest of the team was 3-16 in the Game 5 Summer League loss.
New Orleans has the ninth-worst three-point shooting percentage (30.3%) this summer on the third-fewest attempts (25.4). That is not a recipe for success and the entire organization knows it. It's a trend that must be trashed before the team breaks training camp. It is the kind of lingering issue that causes several people to lose their jobs, not just one scapegoat.
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