Sacramento Kings Rookie Continues Strong Summer League Campaign
The Sacramento Kings have a tall task ahead of them in the upcoming NBA season. They have to be competitive in a tough Western Conference. The roster is strange, made up of aging stars and intriguing young players. Sacramento needs a boost of energy on the team. They may have found it in the 2025 NFL Draft. Nique Clifford, the 24th overall pick in the NBA Draft, has been playing extremely well in the Summer League. He put together another stellar performance today in a win over the Chicago Bulls.
Sacramento Kings Nique Clifford Is On Fire
Nique Clifford stuffed the box score once again on Wednesday afternoon. He put up 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting, adding nine assists and seven rebounds. Through three games, Clifford is making a case for being the best player in Las Vegas. The former Colorado State player has averaged 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in the Summer League. His shooting percentages are otherworldly.
Nique Clifford is shooting 60% (20-for-33) from the field overall and an insane 70% (7-for-10) from three-point range. Part of the reason for his great shooting numbers is his feel on the court. He consistently makes the correct read, taking good shots when they present themselves, while playmaking when the shots aren’t there. This might be the boost the Sacramento Kings have been looking for.
How Excited Should Fans Be?
The Summer League is always hard to gauge. On the one hand, a player having a good performance is good to see. There is NBA talent on the court, and many players have turned a good summer into a good season. However, these rosters are far from what we will see during the season. Many teams are giving as many players as possible a chance to show what they can do. Many of these players will not be on rosters once the season begins.
Still, the Sacramento Kings should be happy with what they have seen. They lack a playmaking guard. Domantas Sabonis is a good passer, and even DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have playmaking abilities. However, once they traded De’Aaron Fox, they lost their primary ballhandler. Clifford is looking to be that guy.
Final Thoughts
The Sacramento Kings have a long way to go if they are going to be competitive in the Western Conference. However, Nique Clifford might be a step in the right direction. Even if the season goes sideways, they could rest assured that they have a cornerstone piece for the future if he can keep this play up.
