“Situational Evaluation” is a sequence of articles that seeks to look at the circumstances that the majority usually affect an NBA prospect’s success. Every participant might be scored on a scale from 1-10 in 4 totally different classes: NBA-specific ability(s), deadly flaw(s), collegiate/abroad/pre-NBA atmosphere, and best NBA ecosystem.
Dominique Akai “Nique” Clifford is a 23-year-old wing from Colorado Springs who averaged 18.9 factors, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists for the Colorado State Rams. He’s anticipated to be chosen in the course of the primary spherical within the 2025 NBA Draft. NBADraft.web at present has him projected at No. 12.
NBA-Particular Abilities
Nique Clifford performs basketball like an grownup.
One could be arduous pressed to discover a steadier, extra productive, and polished school basketball participant than Clifford final season. He did the whole lot for the Colorado State Rams final 12 months and did it effectively.
If his crew wanted him to generate one-on-one scoring alternatives, he did it. He was one in every of school basketball’s greatest pull-up leap shooters – he will get terrific top on his jumper, and he can pull it towards any sort of defender.
If his crew wanted a spot-up 3-point menace, he did it. In his two years in Fort Collins, Clifford turned himself right into a 38% 3-point shooter on excessive quantity. His 3-point stroke – beforehand a weak point – now seems as if it’s going to translate to the NBA 3-point line.
If his crew wanted a clutch rebound, Clifford grabbed it. He was second within the Mountain West Convention in rebounding. He crashes the boards like a middle, however from the wing place.
If his crew wanted somebody to run the offense, he did it. Clifford boosted his help numbers to nicely over 4 per sport and had an almost 2/1 help/turnover ratio, whereas dealing with the ball on practically each possession for CSU.
If his crew wanted him to lock up the opposite squad’s greatest scorer, he did it. With lengthy arms, a robust body, fast palms, and a excessive basketball IQ, Clifford hardly ever discovered himself out of place and tasks as a key contributor in any NBA crew’s defensive idea.
In brief, there are few holes in Clifford’s sport. He tasks as an excellent 3-and-D, high-IQ position participant who by no means backs down or shies away from large moments. He won’t have the wow issue or the great upside of different lottery picks, however Clifford appears the a part of a respectable fifth starter or rotation piece. Consider Clifford as a barely taller Josh Hart who can run a decide and roll.
On a scale from 1-10, Clifford’s mature strategy and excessive flooring charges at an 8.5.
Deadly Flaws
What you see is what you get with Nique Clifford. He’s 23 years previous and certain received’t add any large surprises to his sport at this level.
NBA scouts are at all times cautious of a participant who waits till his age 22-23 seasons to burst onto draft boards. Throughout Clifford’s first three years on the College of Colorado, he was not on anybody’s mock drafts. He was a good bench participant who out-rebounded his place, however he usually struggled to shoot persistently from the perimeter or make performs for others.
For Clifford to meet his NBA future, he’ll have to be a constant, every-game, knockdown 3-point shooter. He improved tremendously on this regard at CSU, however he nonetheless had video games the place the 3s refused to fall. He stuffed the stat sheet in each of his NCAA Event video games this spring, however he went 0-9 from 3. Clifford might be solid in a very totally different position within the NBA – one that can require 4 of each 10 open 3-pointers to fall.
Clifford spent a lot of final season dominating gamers much less proficient and youthful than him. Scouts might want to decide whether or not his sport interprets to an efficient fifth starter towards top-tier NBA athletes.
On a scale from 1 (not a priority) to 10 (critical hindrance), Clifford’s low ceiling charges at an 8.
Pre-NBA Setting
Clifford was a legend in Colorado Springs highschool hoops, successful his state’s Gatorade Participant of the 12 months award with ease (try Clifford’s highschool field scores if you wish to have your eyes come out of your head) and shortly dedicated to Colorado.
Clifford wasn’t actually a part of the AAU circuit or the standard prep circuit that dominated the lives of his NBA prospect contemporaries. Actually, Clifford struggled to see the court docket a lot of his freshman season with the Buffaloes. He by no means actually discovered his footing in Boulder, transferring to Fort Collins after his junior 12 months.
Clifford’s sport actually blossomed with coach Niko Medved (now with Minnesota), who gave Clifford the skillet and let him prepare dinner. After a robust first season with the Rams, Clifford’s inventory actually soared throughout a exceptional 2024-25 season, the place he earned convention third-team recognition (if I had a vote, he earns a first-team nod with out query).
If a scout needs to get a way of the total Nique Clifford expertise, watch the second half of the CSU/Maryland sport from the NCAA Event (the one with the loopy Derik Queen game-winner). Clifford did something/the whole lot in that sport, making key performs on each ends and draining clutch jumpers no matter who was in entrance of him.
On a scale from 1-10, Clifford’s pre-NBA expertise charges at an 8 – began low, however climbed steadily for the previous couple years, ending with an upward arrow pointing towards the draft.
Preferrred NBA Ecosystem
At age 23, Clifford supplies little worth to a rebuilding crew that’s years away from competing for a playoff spot. Together with his mature/polished sport, and talent to contribute as a secondary ball handler and pick-and-roll operator, Clifford would greatest be served by a corporation with a inventive teaching employees in want of extra wing depth.
NBADraft.web at present has Clifford heading to Chicago with the No. 12 decide. The Bulls, perennially members of the play-in menagerie, at present run their offense by Josh Giddey, Mataz Buzelis, and Coby White. Clifford can step in day one at both the two or the three and provides this crew a jolt of toughness and creativity.
A number of groups on the outer edges of the lottery – San Antonio, Oklahoma Metropolis, Orlando – are all of the varieties of organizations that may sometimes be within the Nique Clifford enterprise. Sam Presti, particularly, loves these extremely productive, extraordinarily aggressive, bodily/emotionally mature draft prospects. Clifford would are available only a couple years underneath the Thunder’s median age of 25.6.
Clifford is among the extra situationally impartial gamers on this draft class, however given his age and ready-now skillset, groups within the behavior of incessantly ending above .500 ought to place themselves within the Nique Clifford enterprise.
