It wasn't too much of a surprise to see the Denver Nuggets defeat the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Denver is an NBA title contender; New Orleans just fired its head coach and is locked in a rebuild.
But the Nuggets had to earn their 125-118 win over the Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Even though Nikola Jokic notched his third consecutive triple-double, the Pelicans' rookie center Derik Queen arguably outshone him.
Fans have been especially curious about Queen ever since the Pelicans parted ways with significant assets to draft him in June. In order to move up to the No. 13 pick and select the Maryland freshman, New Orleans' head of basketball operations Joe Dumars sent the No. 23 pick and an unprotected 2026 first-rounder to the Atlanta Hawks.
But if Queen keeps playing like this, the Pelicans will live with this trade.
Jokic "can see" some of his game in Derik Queen
After Queen scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting with nine rebounds and four assists, Jokic told reporters that he can see some of his own game in the 20-year-old -- which might scare fans of other Western Conference hopefuls.
"He's unorthodox. Great touch around the rim (and) feel for the game," Jokic said. "It's good to see somebody different."
Derik Queen 30-9-4-2-2 (12/18 FG) pic.twitter.com/VZOcO5Ddi5
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) November 20, 2025
Jokic too was "somebody different."
A three-time NBA MVP, Jokic has revolutionized basketball as a triple-double machine from the center position. Unlike Queen, though, Jokic didn't enter the NBA with high expectations: he was a 41st overall pick, and ESPN famously was in the middle of airing a Taco Bell commercial when the Nuggets drafted him in 2014.
It speaks well of Queen -- who had endured three straight games scoring in single-digits -- that one of the greatest players in league history sees a possible heir in him. At best, Queen is a generational talent; at worst, one can see the vision that Dumars and Pelicans general manager Troy Weaver shared.
More NBA news:
- Derik Queen puts up numbers never before done in history of New Orleans basketball
- Knicks’ head coach Mike Brown addresses team’s lackluster defense
- Kendrick Perkins rips Zion Williamson, calls him a 'culture killer'
- Celtics already facing a 7-foot-1 NBA Draft regret