New Kings Rookie Nique Clifford Compared to Kings Legend

Clifford fits exactly what the Kings need. He's a long, athletic guard who stands at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan (or 6'6" with a 6'10" wingspan, depending on who you ask) who can do a little bit of everything. What really jumps out is his rebounding, especially for a guard. But Clifford showed last season that he can impact the game in a multitude of ways.

In a great twist of fate, NBADraft.net compared the newest King to none other than former Kings player and current coach, Doug Christie.

"Laterally quick with the size and mobility to guard 1–3 effectively; consistently makes smart rotations and contests without fouling … Averaged 1.2 steals per game, using anticipation and length to disrupt passing lanes"

If that write-up doesn't scream Doug Christie, I don't know what does. Christie was 6-foot-6 with a long wingspan and was the defensive catalyst during his time on the Kings. With 717 steals during his five seasons in Sacramento, he's second all-time in Sacramento history to only De'Aaron Fox (731).

The Kings finished last season with the 22nd-ranked defense, and need all the help they can get on that side of the ball. Clifford doesn't have to be the same type of defender that Christie was, but if he can get close and provide a similar offensive output that he did in college, he could help the Kings get back to the postseason.

There are still a lot of question marks with the Kings and what they will do the rest of this offseason, but a trio of Keon Ellis, Keegan Murray, and Clifford gives them a solid start to building out a defensive identity.

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