James Borrego compares one trait of Derrick Quinn to Nikola Jokic

The comparisons come with an obvious caveat. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is a two-time NBA MVP, a championship center and one of the most expressive offensive engines the league has ever seen. Derrick Quinn is a rookie who is still learning how to impose yourself consistently on a professional level. And yet, inside New Orleans Pelicans‘ exercise facility, one specific parallel continues to emerge.

Both fans and enemies see it often too. The queen leaves changes the geometry and game psychology.

“(The pass) opens up your offense so much,” Borrego began. “They have to take care of other guys on the floor, and that creates a spirit of unselfishness and creativity on the weak side. When you have someone who can pass like (Queen), there’s creativity in what guys can do off the ball. The offense is less predictable, and teams that play off the ball with more players like you, Jokic, are very unpredictable.”

While Queen is far from matching Jokic’s overall skill set, the Pelicans can build on that.

Trey Murphy III and Zion Williamson have posted better stats since playing regularly with Queen.

“With guys like (Jokic and Queen), you’re just making reads, and it’s hard to scout,” Borrego explained. “It adds another dimension and layer to our offense, number one. Then it creates a spirit of unselfishness. When one guy is willing to pass like that, the other guy is willing to pass more. What we’re trying to do here is build a spirit of unselfishness and ball movement. When you have somebody doing that at such a high level, it’s like moving the ball and the confidence of the other guy. He does it for us.”

This philosophy is consistent with how Jokic has elevated the Nuggets since his debut in 2015. Quinn’s court vision allows the Pelicans to operate with a level of unpredictability that few teams can replicate. When the center can make layup passes, hit shooters in rhythm or find open teammates in the high post, defenses are forced to make impossible choices. Do they send help and risk leaving shooters open? Do they stay home and let the queen read more easily? There is rarely a right answer.

Well, for the opponents. Boreg’s decision is clear. Play Derrick Quinn more often to close out a chaotic rookie season. Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III seem to like that scheme more than anything else over the past five seasons, judging by their production.