LeBron James on where he ranks Nuggets among toughest opponents

After Thursday's Game 3 loss to the Nuggets, James was asked where he'd rank the Nikola Jokic-led squad among the toughest opponents he's ever faced.

"It's very hard for me to answer that question right now," James responded. "I'm probably going to sit back at some point and rank all the teams [I faced] in my 20-plus year career. This team is definitely well-equipped, well-prepared and well-coached. They do not have a weakness offensively. They have the best starting lineup in the league for the past few years. They have shot-makers, playmakers and guys who can rebound and assist."  

"It's definitely one of the better teams I've played in my career," James added.

While the Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry-led Warriors are arguably the most talented team James has ever run into, the current iteration of the Nuggets poses a unique set of challenges that "The King" has never encountered. 

James is finally standing opposite a player in Jokic who is just as cerebral and has just as high of an IQ as him. Furthermore, the Nuggets' ability to beat teams playing various styles — uptempo or a methodical half-court style — makes them incredibly hard to game plan for.

The three games thus far against Denver are proof of that. Every time the Lakers have tried to blitz Jokic, he still manages to get his team a high-percentage shot. 

When they decide to sag off of him and dare him to shoot from three, Jokic makes them pay. And when a game comes down to the wire, the strapping 300-pound Jokic resorts to bully ball and punishes his matchup(s) in the post.

Simply put, for as long as Jokic's Nuggets exist, James' chances of returning to the NBA Finals, let alone winning the West, are cooked. Perhaps a move back to the East is the only path forward for James.