Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings’ 2025 first-round draft pick, has experienced a season of highs and lows as the team struggles with the NBA’s worst record at 14-48. With the regular season nearing its conclusion, head coach Doug Christie and general manager Scott Perry have agreed that the best approach is to give young players like Clifford expanded playing time to accelerate their growth.
In his rookie campaign over 58 games, Clifford is averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per outing, shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 32.1 percent beyond the arc, and maintaining a 72.7 percent success rate at the free-throw line. Despite some inconsistency typical for a late first-round selection, Clifford has delivered two standout performances that highlight his potential.
Standout Performances Spotlight Clifford’s Progress
One of Clifford’s most impressive games was in early January against the Cleveland Cavaliers during James Harden’s debut with the team. Clifford registered 30 points, four assists, four rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in a close contest. More recently, during a Sunday night road game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Clifford scored 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out four assists, shooting 11-for-18 from the field. His composure while running the pick-and-roll, often paired with fellow rookie Maxime Raynaud, demonstrated his growing confidence and pace in NBA minutes, even in a blowout loss.
Emphasizing Simplicity as a Path to Success
After the Lakers game, Clifford attributed his improvement in pick-and-roll execution to focusing on making simple decisions on the court.
“Just trying to simplify, make the easiest read, whether that’s a play for myself to score or a play for my teammate,”
he said.
“But I think for me, just being aggressive and attacking downhill, making a big have to step up or play two. That’s been something I’ve been working on and trying to help add that so I can benefit our team.”
?Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings rookie wing
He highlighted the influence of facing elite pick-and-roll players LeBron James and Luka Doncic, whose games revolve around making consistent, straightforward plays.
Their game is simple, Clifford remarked about James and Doncic, adding,
“They get to their spots, they make the right plays. They make the right read almost every time, and that’s the level I want to get to.”
“But, you know, getting to go against guys like that, you see how consistent they are on a daily basis with their routines, with, you know, their play every single night, you don’t get mostly the same thing every single night. So that’s something I got to get to. But going against guys like that has helped me learn and grow.”
?Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings rookie wing
Coach Doug Christie Highlights Importance of Aggression and Quick Decision-Making
Doug Christie, the Kings’ head coach and a 15-season NBA veteran, supports Clifford’s straightforward approach while outlining the complexities behind it, especially in pick-and-roll situations. He emphasized the need for Clifford to attack aggressively and quickly when coming off screens to keep defenders off balance.
“The first thing that he needs to understand is when he comes off to pick and roll, you’ve got to come off with aggression and speed, looking to score,”
Christie explained. He continued,
“You must engage the second defender, because when you have a roller, that roller engages the low man, now you’ve got a single side tag, not always, but sometimes, and he can make that play. So he can make the shot coming off, which you’ve got to punch them in the face first. He can also get downhill, and he can make that pass, and then he can also make the skip pass. So for him, it’s just that simple.”
?Doug Christie, Sacramento Kings head coach
Christie acknowledged that although these plays may sound uncomplicated, mastering them requires intense focus and repetition in the high-speed environment of the NBA.
“Now, when you get out there, trust me, it’s not that simple,”
Christie admitted.
“But you’ve seen him, and we’ve seen him make those reads, and now he’s just got to get these reps in and get it against the best players in the world, and then the game becomes easier and a bit slower.”
?Doug Christie, Sacramento Kings head coach
Christie noted that Clifford displayed these decision-making skills during Summer League play but is only recently developing them with more consistency at the NBA level, which is encouraging for a Kings roster in need of emerging contributors.
Remaining Schedule Offers Clifford Chance to Gain More Experience
With around 20 games left in the season, Clifford is expected to receive significant playing time as the Kings prioritize his development. This will allow him to refine his decision-making and help the team build momentum heading into future seasons.
The Kings will start a five-game homestand on Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center against the Phoenix Suns, a team aiming to complete a season series sweep over Sacramento. This is the first of nine home games in the next ten matchups. Upcoming home contests include:
- March 3: vs. Phoenix Suns, 8:00 PM PT
- March 5: vs. New Orleans Pelicans, 7:00 PM PT
- March 8: vs. Chicago Bulls, 6:00 PM PT
- March 10: vs. Indiana Pacers, 7:00 PM PT
- March 11: vs. Charlotte Hornets, 7:00 PM PT
This stretch presents valuable opportunities for Clifford and the Kings to gain momentum as they close out the season and evaluate their young core ahead of future campaigns.
