Nique Clifford has all the experience you need from a prospect, as the super senior has played five seasons of collegiate basketball — the first three at Colorado and the last two at Colorado State. Clifford has improved every year, and in his final season with the Rams, he did almost everything for the team.
Let’s just get this out of the way now: Clifford is 23 years old, which means he’s an older prospect with not the kind of upside that many teams may want. Last year, it was Dalton Knecht who struck some people, as he had the shooting that everybody wanted, but he was also an older prospect. Knecht ended up being a nice contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers sporadically throughout the season, and it may be safe to say he shut down the old rumors with his play.
Clifford may not be the shooter that Knecht is, but he does a lot of good things on the court that can help his team. One of those things is that he plays bigger than his size, and at 6’6”, he averaged 9.6 rebounds per game in his last season with the Rams. He doesn’t have a problem crashing the boards, and he’ll get out in transition to make a play for himself or his teammates. He has good floor vision, and that shows with his 4.4 assists per game.
When he’s not making plays for others, he’s driving to the lane and creating contact. He finished 65.9% at the rim, and his strength and athleticism allow him to get to his spot and create. He’s also a good cutter, which is possibly one of the best attributes a player can have.
Clifford’s shooting can be up and down at times, but as a catch-and-shoot player, he was solid. He’s not afraid to take three-pointers, but his efficiency off the dribble has been a little spotty throughout his collegiate career. As a rookie, he might be put in that many situations where he has to create for himself, so being able to catch-and-shoot and spot up are good things to have coming in early in his career. Overall, Clifford shot 38% from the three-point line this season, and his consistency from behind the arc can only get better.
On defense, he uses his length to his advantage, and he’s able to defend guards and wings if he has to. He doesn’t foul much, and he has the mechanics to keep his assignment in front of him. That will be big for teams, as they can trust to put him on the floor during crunch time when they need a stop. When thinking of Clifford, the first word that comes to mind should be ‘connector’ because of the array of skills he has.
For the Hawks, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they looked at Clifford, and he could be a player who can bring energy off the bench on both sides of the ball. He could play on the court alongside Trae Young due to his size, and if the team needed a stop on defense, they could trust him to go out and make a play. Clifford will most likely be available between picks no. 13 and no. 22 which could line up perfectly for the Hawks if they want him.
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