Don't Sleep on Nique

In the NBA's never ending search for two-way wings, Colorado State's Nique Clifford is hiding in plain sight.

The NBA is a wings league. 

Every team is looking for a Jayson Tatum or Paul George type. Rightfully so. But take a glance at the top players in the NBA and you quickly realize how scarce that archetype truly is. It is the core reason that despite consensus opinion, Brandon Miller was Charlotte’s choice over Scoot Henderson. A tall shot creator is just going to be more valuable than a heavy usage point guard with shooting questions in the modern NBA. However, the rarity of the star wing, and the reality of how difficult it is to attain one, doesn’t mean that teams aren’t still on a perpetual quest to find and roster them, even if they are more in the vein of a two-way role guy rather than the star variety. 

Now the key words above are “two” and “way” because two-way wings are capable of playing deep into the playoffs without the fear of getting played off the floor. Forget great for a second, even simply good wings are a valuable and often difficult commodity to find¹. Because as teams dive deeper into the void of the NBA playoffs, their opponent is scheming to find ways in which they can take advantage of the weakest link on either side of the floor. A non-shooter may be completely ignored in favor of loading up on stars, whilst a turnstile defender is going to be forced into so many switches that their head is going to spin clean off. Finding players that can toggle seamlessly between assignments and contribute to the inertia of an offense are the key component to keeping the game plan flowing. 

With efficient wings being in such high demand, and draft evaluators typically valuing them so highly, it’s curious that Colorado State wing Nique Clifford has been slept on within the scouting community.

The cliff notes scout on Clifford is: strong 6’6” dribble, pass, shoot wing who can defend on and off the ball. Sounds like the kind of player every team could use right?

So if Clifford fits the prototypical wing criteria, and is in the midst of a breakout senior campaign, then why hasn’t he garnered the typical draft buzz that a productive wingy prospect typically garners at this point of the cycle? 

It could be because he doesn’t have the national name recognition as a former four-star prospect coming out of high school, he isn’t his team’s top scoring option, he’ll be 22 years old on draft night, or that scouts seem a little hesitant to buy in to a major statistical leap post-transfer from Colorado.

Whatever the reason(s), the stats and the tape are telling the basketball community that they should be paying closer attention.

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The Numbers

Nique Clifford may not be the first option on his college team, but he likely² won’t be that in the league either, so it’s convenient that we have an opportunity while observing Nique’s senior tape with Colorado State to scout all of the ways in which he can contribute to the next level. Take a gander at a box score on any given night or take a deeper look at his statistical profile and you’ll find that Nique is stuffing the stat sheet. Clifford may not be throwing up flashy volume scoring numbers game to game, but his appeal lies in his ability to play within the flow of the offense and make high-level decisions.

Nique’s ability to impact the game both on and off the ball on both sides of the floor has led to the most efficient and productive season of his career. 

Despite a February shooting slump, Clifford is still knocking on the door of 50/40/80 shooting splits while converting nearly 70% of his rim attempts in the half-court and 47% of his midrange attempts. Clifford is not only mixing it up as a scorer, but is making plays for his teammates (16.7 - AST%), rebounding the ball like a madman (24.1 - DRB%), and generating defensive events at a high rate on the other side of the floor (3.0 - STL% & 2.9 - BLK%)³. 

It isn’t easy to fill up a box score in as many ways, as efficiently, as Clifford has done it this season for the Rams, but does his production match that of his NBA counterparts?

When inputting the below thresholds into our friends at Barttorvik, Nique appears on a very short list of similarly skilled NBA wings whom he can make a reasonable case to aspire to emulate at the next level.

Clifford’s semi-tentativeness to hunt his own shot in lieu of filling a role makes it unlikely that he ends up on a Mikal Bridges type of offensive trajectory, but he could certainly carve out a role similar to that of a Vince Williams, providing value as connective tissue to an NBA offense and defense.

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Film Sesh

Numbers are fun to play with and are a useful evaluation tool, but they don’t mean much if the film doesn’t back up the story that the numbers are telling. From the physical tools to the versatile skill set, Clifford’s film substantiates his dynamic all-around statistical profile.

Shooting has become perhaps the most important offensive attribute for a modern NBA player. Clifford is taking and making more threes than he ever has in his career⁴. Whether off-the-bounce or on-the-catch, Clifford has been making teams pay from behind the arc. He has smooth mechanics and a strong base that allows him to stay balanced and shoot a consistent ball. When he stays in his shot and has his feet set, the shot usually feels like it’s going in. 

Clifford has some juice with the ball in his hands, but he has been most successful as a shooter in catch-and-shoot situations—connecting on 44% of his attempts this season, placing him in the 92nd percentile. They aren’t all stationary corner looks either. Nique can shoot himself open off a flare or pin-down and he can get loose off a DHO and punish a defense for going under. He may not be Jordan Hawkins as far as his movement versatility goes, but he’s not just a standstill guy, either.

What I love about Clifford’s off-ball impact is that he isn’t someone that is going to just stay stationary and wait for the ball to swing his way. When Nique is spaced off-the-ball and a defender falls asleep, he’ll sneak in behind the play and cut to the rim where he has the athletic juice to sky in for a monster oop. 

Clifford’s penchant for timely cuts has gotten him easy stuff near the rim, but he’s also carved up defenses by attacking with the ball in his hands from the perimeter. His smooth handle, strong frame, and slick footwork allow Nique to take contact and elude defenders, while his ability to jump off either foot and finish with either hand creates clean finishing angles. 

Nique will finish with nifty extensions or up-and-unders, displaying his touch and creativity, but he’ll also finish with power. Clifford can get up off one or two feet and if he gets a little bit of runway he’s capable of yamming on someone’s head. Nique has an NBA ready frame, real bounce, and he embraces physicality. In a battle of mid-air momentum, he’s probably going to win. 

Nique’s off-ball scoring prowess gives him the skills necessary to play opposite NBA primaries, but he’s shown some flashes of self-creation too. Those flashes are typically not the result of deep bag work, like Rob Dilly, but Nique is effective in his simplicity. Clifford will typically get to his pull-up in three dribbles or less and will move off the ball quickly if nothing materializes. Even within the confines of his three dribbles, Clifford can get to his spot at the elbow or bust out an efficient combo move or step-back.

Modern NBA wings have to have those extra wrinkles to their game. No longer is simply fitting into the “3&D” moniker enough. Wings have to be able to attack a close-out, run a second-side action, and make a quick .5 decision passing read that keeps the offense humming when the ball swings their way. 

Clifford isn’t a jumbo creator type of prospect, but he’s a slick passer who can run an effective pick and roll, displaying his feel to make sharp passing reads. Nique operates at a smooth pace, attacking ball screens with poise and maturity. He’ll read the low man sliding over in help and map out what the defense is giving him before he makes a decision. Clifford doesn’t have the Luka/Trae next-level weakside hits in his bag, but he can make defenses pay by making the simple reads, utilizing his height to see over the top of the defense and hit the roll man or get into the teeth of the defense and make a slick last second improvisational read to a cutter.

Even when Nique doesn’t have it going offensively, he contributes to other areas to make up for it. When Nique went 1-9 from the field against New Mexico a few weeks ago, he went out and grabbed eleven boards. Clifford has a penchant for attacking the glass and has been one of the best rebounding wings all season long, finishing defensive possessions for the Rams.

Speaking of defense…

You won’t find many wing prospects that have been more effective defensively than Nique Clifford has been this season.

On the ball, Clifford uses his strength, length, and fluid lateral mobility to stay in front of his man, beat them to a spot, and force them into tough contested shots. He gets low in his stance, takes away space, and keeps his hands active so that they never feel comfortable. He stays disciplined on close-outs, with high hands and choppy feet. Clifford’s physical tools allow him to switch up and down the positional spectrum, which then allows Colorado State to choose the matchup in which Clifford can be the most disruptive. He’s spent time guarding Trey Alexander, Isaiah Crawford, and Tristan da Silva and he’s been tasked with chasing around Jaelen House, Baylor Scheiermen, and Saint Thomas.

Off the ball Nique stays active in the passing lanes, using his anticipation and length to disrupt lazy passes and turn defense to offense. And his adept off-ball positional awareness allows him to slide over and punch shots near the rim.

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It’s hard to find too many holes in Clifford’s game. He has more assists than turnovers, he’s efficient with 53/39/80 shooting splits, he hammers the glass, and can defend his ass off. He plays within himself and the team construct and doesn’t force the issue. There are times when Nique plays a bit too much within himself. He could stand to step out of his comfort zone, explore the studio space, and be more aggressive as a scorer at times, even if that’s not his game. But most rookies don’t step into high-volume scoring roles when they enter the league. They need to figure out ways to contribute on the margins in order to earn the trust of the coaching staff and get minutes on the floor. Nique has been a killer on the margins and he’s already comfortable in a complimentary role filling in the gaps.

With three months and a pre-draft process yet to play out, there’s still time plenty of time for Nique Clifford’s name to start buzzing. He just brings too much value on both ends to stay under the radar. But in the meantime, while the rest of the basketball world continues to sleep, this is the alarm letting you know that it’s finally time to wake up.

1. Which is why Dorian Finney-Smith finds himself in trade rumors every February

2. We don't place ceilings on a prospect’s potential at…checks website url…noceilingsnba.com

3. All stats as of 3/6/24

4. Still only 3.0 3PA - “you gotta pump those numbers up, those are rookie numbers”