Nikola Jokic compared to peak LeBron James, and rightfully so

As the Serb continues to rewrite history, NBA analyst Jason Timpf has made the tall claim that the 2024-25 version of Jokic is the most dominant player we've seen since 2012-13 LeBron James.

Timpf said he's never seen "a more clearcut MVP favorite" through the first 10 games of the season in his time covering the league.  

"The Nuggets are over 40 points better per 100 possessions when he's on the floor versus off," Timpf said of Jokic. "I think the gap between him and the second-best player in the league right now is the largest it's been since LeBron James was the best player in the league in 2013. He is singlehandedly taking an injury-ravaged Nuggets roster [to the top] with a bunch of guys playing below their potential."

The analyst then praised Jokic for finding "tiny roles" for unproven players in ways no other player can. The Nuggets have been forced to play a host of untested youngsters due to Aaron Gordon's injury, not to mention the offseason departures of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson. 

"The ceiling he's at right now is the highest I've seen since LeBron James," Timpf added. 

The beauty of Jokic is he hasn't been disgruntled or upset at his front office for letting Bruce Brown, Jeff Green and Caldwell-Pope — three key pieces of Denver's 2023 title-winning team — walk within the past 12 months. Unlike other superstar players, the Serb plays basketball joyously with whatever squad he has, elevating each player and turning them into stars in their roles, as Timpf pointed out. 

Case in point: Christian Braun, who is putting up career-highs across the board since taking KCP's role as a starter. Even Peyton Watson is averaging a career-high 8.4 points and has done admirably well in filling in for the injured Gordon.

Jokic is reaching a level where he could hypothetically win basketball games with four scrubs. That was the reputation James garnered during his absolute peak between 2012 and 2016.