Nique Clifford Scouting Deepdive
Nique Clifford withdrew from the 2024 NBA Draft to exercise his fifth year and returning to the Colorado State Rams. Now, Clifford is looking to secure a spot in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The Mountain West has continuously provided high quality talent for basketball fans to watch over the years. This year is no different with Nique Clifford at Colorado State. The Mountain West may not have as many bids this season, but Clifford is already proving his next level talent for the Rams in an attempt to get them back into the big dance for the third time in four years. Let’s dive into what makes Clifford an intriguing professional prospect.
The Physical Profile
Nique Clifford stands at 6’6, 200lbs. The senior has a listed wingspan of 6’8 and a 37” max vertical, both registered at the 2024 NBA Drake Combine earlier this year. His physique makes him an ideal wing as he is a powerful force on the floor. Despite being just 6’6, he rebounds like a center, dominating opponents on the glass by using his pure strength. There’s plenty to love about his offensive capabilities, but his physical profile allows him to be a menace on defense. He has the length, the athleticism, and the strength to absolutely lock down opponents outside.
One comparison to a current player in the NBA could be Jalen Wilson of the Brooklyn Nets. Wilson is listed as 6’6 with a 6’8 wingspan, mirroring that of Clifford. Wilson has about 20 pounds on Clifford as he is listed as 220 pounds, but remember to assume that Clifford will put on some more muscle once he has entered the professional ranks.
One intriguing comparison is from fellow former mid-major player Ben Sheppard of the Indiana Pacers. Sheppard is listed as 6’6 with a 6’8 wingspan, once again mirroring Clifford. Sheppard is listed as 190 pounds, so a tad under Clifford, but I actually see some similarities outside of their physical profiles. Clifford is definitely more athletic, but Sheppard uses his body to lock down on defensive, similar to Clifford.
At the end of the day, there is a reason that teams are high on him and scouting him makes it obvious. He is about as athletic as it gets and there’s a lot of raw potential that can still be unlocked with some development thanks to his incredible physical profile.
What’s the Vision?
We foreshadowed this in Clifford’s physical profile, but why would an NBA team take a flier on Nique? Let’s start off with his explosive offensive capabilities. He is about as strong of a finisher as you’ll find across college basketball. He loves playing above the rim and he loves using this verticality to slash to the rim and take the easy finish or go for a massive slam.
He’s become an above average shooter as well. He had his fair share of struggles early on, but he’s improved every single season, and this year is no different. He’s now emerged as an elite catch and shoot option for the Rams and it’ll translate well to the NBA. He’ll rarely miss once squared up. However, he’s also worked on his ability to be more than just a catch and shoot option, he’s shown this season that he can create offense for himself as well. He’s no longer afraid to pick the ball up and pull up for a jumper where he struggled greatly in years prior.
Overall, I am thrilled with how Clifford has developed over the years from an offensive perspective. He’s opened up enormous opportunities for himself by carving out a variety of offensive capabilities from the catch and shoot where he is still lethal, to creating his own shots, to slashing towards the rim.
I would be remised to not mention how terrific of a rebounder Clifford is. For a 6’6 wing, averaging nearly 11 rebounds in a top ten conference in the country is impressive to say the least. We’ve mentioned quite a few times at this point how athletic he is, and it shows when he is crashing the board. He’s not afraid to go toe-to-toe with players several inches taller than him to secure a board. He’s strong and has above average jumping capabilities that allow him to hold a significant advantage on the boards over other players of his size.
Defensively, he won’t rack up three steals a game, but there is a lot of love about his capabilities. He uses his athleticism to his advantage and can really get up to block shots. It’ll be a little streaky, but when he gets going, he feels it and will usually rack up a couple in a game when he gets fired up.
How Can It Break Down?
I have raved about Clifford’s improvements each year throughout college basketball, but I’m still a bit hesitant on his three-point shooting. He’s gotten far more consistent, but it’s reasonable to assume there will be some retraction once he reaches the next level. Can his shot stay consistent enough to translate at the NBA level? I think it can, but there’s no certainty at all.
His ability to pass is arguably his weakest point. I don’t believe that this will be detrimental to his career as there are plenty of players who reach the professional level and carve out solid careers while lacking in a certain skill. He won’t be an albatross, but it’d be malpractice to not call out that he won’t be dishing out assists for his team in the future.
What’s the Pathway?
Let’s face it, Clifford was a top 100 recruit coming out of high school, so his strong development at the collegiate level shouldn’t be that large of a shock. However, it’s still very encouraging to see how he has honed his skills over the years. We highlighted some concerns about his three-point shooting, but just over the last three years he went from 28.8% to 37.6%, and now 38.1% roughly a third of the way through the current season. It’s not like he was developing in the Ohio Valley Conference either, the Mountain West is one of the premier mid-major conferences in college basketball. You can imagine there will be a small level of retracting once he reaches the professional level, but he will most likely continue to home in and improve his shot once he has additional resources and guidance helping him pave his way.
Realistically, I don’t see a team taking Clifford in the first round. I believe that a second round pick is very reasonable as there is a ton of potential that could be untapped with Nique. Long-term, he will most likely serve as a role player, not necessarily the superstar on the team, but we’ve seen plenty of second round picks become crucial members of their roster and provide impacts on championship winning teams. So, what does he need to do to carve out a meaningful career?
Clifford needs to continue to improve on his shot consistency. He has the potential to be an elite off-ball offensive weapon for any team. He needs to work on his ball-handling skills. If he wants to carve out more than just a role in a rotation, adding the ability to be a consistent passer will unlike more opportunities. Don’t lose sight on what he’s good at. He’s already an elite defender and more athletic than the common player, so play into those skills. Continue to prove that he can be more than just a catch and shoot player and serve meaningful minutes on the court and he’ll be more than just a role player in the future for a lucky NBA team that invests in him.