2025 NBA Draft Profile- How does Colorado State's Nique Clifford Fit With Atlanta?

The Hawks currently hold the 13th pick in the draft (via the Sacramento Kings) and the 22nd pick (via the L.A. Lakers). The Hawks could potentially draft Colorado State guard Nique Clifford with one of these picks, as he's projected as a first-round talent.

Strengths:

Clifford possesses the necessary tools to be a successful wing in the NBA as his frame stands at 6-foot-6, and he has a 6-foot-10 wingspan while weighing in at 200 pounds. Defensively, Clifford can guard and switch to multiple positions while having the ability to play passing lanes well, averaging 1.2 steals per game this season. Clifford has an impressive rebounding ability, averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, and he averaged 4.4 assists per game this season, showing his ability to play make for teammates as well as run the pick-and-roll. Clifford shot the ball well from the floor at 49.6%, 37.7% from three-point range, and has shown that he can get his shot in the mid-range, leading to him becoming one of the most well-rounded prospects in this year's draft, especially since he's a 23-year-old senior showing his urge to improve each year, Clifford proved he can do all things on the basketball court.

Let's take a look at what ESPN had to say about Clifford's strengths

"Clifford has put himself on good footing after his breakout season at Colorado State, entering June as the oldest player among our top 30 in this list, and a viable plug-and-play bench option for any team that needs immediate wing help. The good news for him is the majority of teams would benefit from adding depth at his position. He's drawing looks higher than this as a result, as a well-rounded offensive player with feel who also offers defensive versatility. His age does limit some of the long-term ceiling, but as long as Clifford continues to make shots at a passable clip, he should add value on an NBA roster.

Weaknesses:

While Clifford has a lot of tools to be successful as an overall basketball player at the NBA level, there is still some room for improvement. One of the main things Clifford could improve on is his ability to drive with the basketball. He tends to get lost looking for contact in traffic and is not always ready to make a good decision, leading to turnovers or missed shots. Clifford has shown he can shoot from anywhere on the floor. Still, he can improve when it comes to being a catch-and-shoot guy instead of always relying on his ability to create his shot, which will become a significant factor with the floor spacing in the NBA today. Lastly, his older age of 23 years coming into the draft will prompt specific teams to wonder how well he will perform in the long term, as he will be entering his prime years sooner than most of his peers, who are still in their late teens.

Overall:

The Hawks could use a guy on their roster who is more well-rounded and has the experience necessary, as still a relatively young talent at just 23 years old, to make this potential draft selection work. Clifford's ability to do everything on the court, including creating his shot, could be something that works for the Hawks' offense, as they've lacked consistent scoring options at times besides Trae Young and, recently, Jalen Johnson. Where things could become negative in terms of fit with this Hawks team is his need for the ball in his hands to be an effective scorer and shooter, especially given his limited catch-and-shoot ability in today's floor spacing, and not being viewed as the primary ball handler for their offense. A similar situation I would compare this to is the Hawks with Cam Reddish during his first few seasons with the team, as he had similar attributes but wanted to have the ball in his hands more. As a result, his tenure with the team outside of the 2021 playoffs didn't go so well, even though he had promising talent; it just doesn't work when you have a floor general and scorer like Trae Young.

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