BREAKING: Peyton Watson Reveals How Nikola Jokic Has Unlocked a New Skill During NBA Playoffs

Ever since the Denver Nuggets fired Michael Malone, Nikola Jokic has willingly stepped into a leadership role.

It’s high praise, but it’s true: Nikola Jokic is the closest combination of LeBron James and Tim Duncan the NBA will ever see. He has the superstar power of James, although he hides from the spotlight like Duncan.

He has the insane basketball IQ that James has long boasted, but his leadership style is a little quieter and reserved, like Duncan’s was.

Duncan, of course, spent his whole career playing under Gregg Popovich and never had to be a very vocal leader. Jokic and Michael Malone seemed to have a similar agreement, although with Malone’s firing right before the playoffs, Jokic has been thrust into a new role.

Mar 5, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson (8) and center Nikola Jokic (15) react in the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Ball Arena.

© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

While David Adelman has done a solid job manning the sidelines, Jokic seems to be calling out defensive rotations and even making substitution choices for his team, and his teammates are taking notice of it.

After a Game 1 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Peyton Watson reflected on Jokic’s leadership.

“It helps a lot,” said Watson of Jokic stepping into a more vocal role. “And, you know, when somebody is quiet like that, when they do speak, everybody stops what they’re doing and listens. Jokic is a huge voice for our team. I think a lot of us lean on him more than he knows to kind of be a leader, not only by example, but also verbally as well. So to see him more animated, like you said, is big time. And I think it shows that we’re headed in the right direction as a locker room and as a team.”

Both Duncan and James are all-time greats, and Jokic, like both of them, is cementing his legacy as a winner, although his play style makes him incomparable.