Nikola Jokic Admits He Can See The Similarities Between He And A Talented Rookie

Nikola Jokic started his career in the NBA slowly, but since that point, he's continued to take his game to the next level, with many believing he should have five MVPs to his name already. He has just three, however, but has established himself as one of the greatest players of all time in the last five seasons, with a game that translates to success in any era of the NBA.

The archetype that he represents will be a popular one going forward, and in the 2025 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans selected a player in Derik Queen that many see as similar to Jokic. The three-time MVP was recently asked if he could see the comparisons between the two, and while he doesn't expand on his answer, he admits that he can see the similarities.

“I can see it, yeah.”

In his rookie campaign, Queen has tallied 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game in 24 minutes of game time, representing a potential franchise cornerstone of the future for the Pelicans. Obviously, Jokic did not become the Jokic we know today until several years into his career, but early on, he showed the exact types of flashes that we see from Queen through 19 games played.

Only time will tell if Queen can ever take his game to the next level, but right now he's showing immense potential, and if Jokic can see the comparisons, it's safe to say that his future is incredibly bright.