Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope believes that the only difference between Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is James’ jumping ability.
"I feel like the only difference is that Bron can jump higher than Jokic."
KCP talks about the similarities of playing with LeBron James and Nikola Jokic 🔊#NBAConferenceFinals presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/C1kXxfvQQA
— NBA (@NBA) May 17, 2023
The former Lakers guard and current Nuggets starter clearly thinks very highly of Jokic, and the two-time MVP is a major reason why Caldwell-Pope and the Nuggets are in the Western Conference Finals.
Caldwell-Pope spent time with James in Los Angeles, winning a title with the Lakers superstar in the 2019-20 season. In fact, the Georgia native recently said that the 2019-20 Lakers team was better than the current roster he’s facing in the Western Conference Finals.
James and Jokic are both special players, but James’ athleticism certainly makes him a much different player to defend than Jokic.
Both stars have an amazing natural ability to find their teammates, and it’s something that makes them so dangerous on the offensive end of the floor.
Jokic showcased that in Game 1 against the Lakers on Tuesday night, tallying 14 assists on his way to a triple-double. The Nuggets center finished the game with 34 points on 12-of-17 shooting (3-of-3 from beyond the arc) and 21 rebounds as well.
It was a dominant performance, but it’s hard to overlook what the 38-year-old James did in Game 1 for the Lakers. The four-time NBA champion finished the game with 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. He shot 9-for-16 from the field in the game and added a block.
Caldwell-Pope is lucky to have played with two elite talents like Jokic and James, but there is one thing that Jokic has to do in order to draw any comparisons to the Lakers superstar.
The five-time All-Star needs to take his team to an NBA Finals and win, as he has not been past the Western Conference Finals in his career. In fact, the Nuggets have never won an NBA title.
As the Lakers-Nuggets playoff series continues, it will be fun to watch James and Jokic display their unique skill sets against each other. Game 2 between these two teams is set to take place on Thursday, May 18 in Denver at Ball Arena.
