Nique Clifford 2025 NBA Draft Profile

Strengths

The greatest strength of Clifford’s game is his sheer versatility. Firstly, Clifford is a capable three-level scorer who can play both on and off the ball. Notably, Clifford spent this past season getting on-ball reps as the primary offensive option for Colorado. With the ball, Clifford has demonstrated that he can create his own shot and be a threat anywhere on the court. Clifford has the size and athleticism to make powerful plays at the rim and is comfortable finishing through contact. Plus, he possesses excellent footwork, and Clifford uses it to effectively get to his spots. Clifford is also a solid passer and has developed as an on-ball playmaker this year. His on-ball playmaking is clearly demonstrated in Clifford’s passing ability in the pick-and-roll. He typically makes the right read and finds the open man.

Off the ball, Clifford has shown the ability to move well without the ball and provide off-ball offense. Specifically, Clifford is a smart cutter in the half-court and transition. Plus, Clifford can knock down threes as a spot-up shooter and has even shown flashes of movement shooting. Additionally, Clifford can move the ball well as more of a connective passer when he is not on the ball.

On defense, Clifford has the ideal size at 6-foot-6 to be a multi-positional defender. He is certainly capable of defending one through three. Clifford has a good feel for the game and excellent basketball IQ, which translates into his ability to be disruptive on defense. He has excellent anticipation for jumping passes and being a weakside shot-blocker. Clifford is also a strong rebounder for his size on the defensive end, averaging 8.1 defensive rebounds per game. Most importantly, Clifford is nothing less than a high-level competitor who plays hard on every possession.

Weaknesses

While Clifford has taken strides in improving his three-point shooting, he is still on the streaky side as a shooter. In particular, Clifford is prone to long dry spells from three, then hitting everything from beyond the arc elsewhere in the season. He will need to improve his consistency as a shooter. Additionally, Clifford can be pressured into bad mid-range shots or turnovers if he gets trapped when attacking the rim. Speaking of turnovers, Clifford does need to tighten his handle as well. There are questions about whether or not Clifford can translate his impact to the NBA level, considering he played in a weaker college conference. Also, Clifford is on the older side of prospects in this draft. Specifically, he is 23 years old, meaning his upside may be limited compared to younger prospects.

NBA Comparison

Considering Clifford’s versatile skill set, several players come to mind. One specific name is New York Knicks guard Josh Hart. Both players are elite rebounding guards who can provide tough defense and tertiary scoring next to stars. Another name is Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins, given that they both have well-rounded skill sets with similar builds.

2025 NBA Draft Projection

Mid-first-round pick.