Nikola Jokic says Nuggets will be playing ‘new team’ in Lakers

DENVER — Sporting a new haircut Monday, Nikola Jokic will enter the Western Conference finals with a fresh mentality.

Even though this will be the Denver Nuggets‘ second conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers since 2020, Jokic says this will be a new experience against a new team. Which is a good thing, because when asked what he learned from the Nuggets’ five-game loss to LeBron James and the Lakers in the bubble, Jokic said, “To be honest, nothing. I don’t remember it.”

Jokic certainly won’t recognize these Lakers. Since these teams last faced each other Jan. 9, the Lakers have moved on from Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Thomas Bryant and have added Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba and Tristan Thompson.

Of the title team in 2020, only James and Anthony Davis remain.

“We didn’t play with this kind of Lakers [team],” Jokic said. “So this is going to be basically a new team for us. Probably everything is new, everything is different.

“They’re playing amazing in these playoffs. Since [the trade] deadline, they’re playing really well.”

Jokic also spoke glowingly of Davis, his big man counterpart. This will be Jokic’s biggest test this postseason after facing Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert in the first round and Phoenix’s Deandre Ayton in the second.

“AD is a guard in a 7-foot-2 body,” Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon said. “He is able to handle the ball really well, able to draw fouls, so you have to be conscientious with your hands. He can shoot that middy, fadeaway over both shoulders, just his skill package while being that big.”

Of course, the Lakers will have to contend with Jokic, who has added two MVP trophies since they last saw him in the Western Conference finals.

Jokic enters this matchup fresh off dropping three triple-doubles in his…