The three-time MVP offered high praise for Derik Queen following their Wednesday night battle in New Orleans, and the rookie showed exactly why he's earned the "Baby Jokic" nickname along the way.

When Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets visited New Orleans on November 19th, few expected a rookie to put on the kind of show that would earn genuine respect from one of the NBA's all-time greats.

But Derik Queen did exactly that, turning in a career-high 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting while adding nine rebounds and four assists in the Pelicans' 125-118 loss to the Nuggets at Smoothie King Center.

The 20-year-old rookie wasn't intimidated by the moment or the matchup, and he attacked Jokic with the same unorthodox style that has drawn comparisons to the Serbian superstar throughout his young career.

Queen showed a variety of crafty moves around the basket and displayed the kind of feel for the game that can't be taught, which is exactly what caught Jokic's attention after the final buzzer sounded.

Jokic didn't hold back when asked about Queen's performance, offering the kind of compliment that carries real weight coming from a player of his caliber.

The Nuggets center had nothing but positive things to say about the Pelicans rookie and what he brings to the floor every night.

"He has some moves ... He's unorthodox. Great touch around the rim, feel for the game. It's good to see somebody different," Jokic said after the game.

When pressed on whether he could see some of himself in Queen's game, Jokic acknowledged the similarities between their playing styles and approaches to the game. "I can see it, yeah," the three-time MVP admitted, giving Queen one of the highest compliments a young big man could receive in today's NBA.

The matchup lived up to expectations as both centers put on impressive performances in the Wednesday night showdown.

Jokic finished with 28 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds for his ninth triple-double of the season, though he struggled with nine turnovers and eventually fouled out with 2:44 remaining in the game.

Queen's aggressive play and physicality clearly bothered the Denver star throughout the contest.

For Queen, the performance marked a major breakthrough in what has been a solid but somewhat inconsistent rookie campaign for the former Maryland standout.

The 13th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft became the first rookie in Pelicans franchise history to score 30 points while shooting at least 65% from the field, and he did it against one of the players he has openly modeled his game after since arriving at the collegiate level.

The victory improved Denver's record to 11-3 on the season, keeping them firmly in second place in the Western Conference standings as of November 20th.

The Nuggets have been one of the NBA's best teams early in the 2025-26 campaign, with Jokic leading the league in both rebounds and assists while averaging 29.1 points per game through 14 contests.