Pelicans' Queen lives up to 'Baby Jokic' nickname vs. Nuggets

New Orleans Pelicans center Derik Queen (22) brings the ball up court against the Denver Nuggets during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Pelicans' Derik Queen lives up to 'Baby Jokic' nickname vs. Nuggets

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 12:33 AM ET

New Orleans Pelicans rookie center Derik Queen earned the nickname "Baby Jokic" during his college career at Maryland. He showed why on Wednesday night.

The Pelicans hosted the Denver Nuggets and center Nikola Jokic at Smoothie King Center. Queen held his own in his second game against the three-time league MVP.

Derik Queen had career night against Nikola Jokic and Co.

In Denver's 125-118 victory, Queen — the 13th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft — scored a season-high 30 points on outstanding 12-of-18 shooting from the field. The 20-year-old rookie also had nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.

Jokic, meanwhile, scored 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and had 12 assists and 11 rebounds. It was his third straight game with a triple-double, which is what fans have come to expect from one of the best players in the world.

Derik Queen, absolute baller

career-high, 30 PTS (12/18 FG)
9 REB
4 AST
2 BLK
2 STL pic.twitter.com/tB21UXOBay
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 20, 2025

Queen, of course, has a long way to go to reach the heights that Jokic has in his career. He still may never do so. The 30-year-old veteran is at the pinnacle of the sport.

The Nuggets standout has earned five first-team All-NBA selections and won a championship in 11 seasons with Denver. In a list published on Nov. 10, The Athletic ranked him as the NBA's fifth-best player since 2000, behind former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, former San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Lakers forward LeBron James.

While he may never approach the same tier as Jokic, Wednesday night's performance should make the Pelicans feel they took the right guy in Queen. He's beginning to showcase the skills that had many scouts believe the 6-foot-9, 250-pound center could be a star.

"Queen's deep repertoire of post moves, excellent touch with both hands and strong footwork make him one of the class's most reliable interior scorers, even without elite vertical athleticism," wrote Bleacher Report's NBA staff in its pre-draft scouting report.

The Pelicans need Queen — who was averaging 10.4 points per game entering Wednesday — to stay on this trajectory. That would give New Orleans (2-13) a player it can keep building around. Plus, it would prove he's deserving of his moniker.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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