Sacramento Kings Rookies Shine in Summer League Debuts

The Sacramento Kings Summer League schedule in Las Vegas kicked off on Thursday night, where the weather was somehow hotter than back home in Sacramento. This was also the first chance for Kings fans to see new draftees Nique Clifford (No. 24) and Stanford's Maxime Raynaud (No. 42), and they did not disappoint.

While the Kings walking off the court with an 84-81 win over the Orlando Magic was definitely a plus, that's not what the chatter has been about coming out of that game. It was each of their rookies taking over a half, and ultimately leading them to that win.

Clifford played nearly 25 minutes in his first game in a Kings uniform, and shot 5-of-12 from the floor (41.7%) that included one-of-three from deep and 6-of-10 from the free throw line. The first rounder also collected four rebounds, dished out three assists, snagged two steals, and even blocked a shot. He ended up tied for the team lead with 17 points, and finished with a +2 when he was on the court.

Maxime Raynaud's Kings Debut

Raynaud played roughly 90 seconds longer than Clifford, shooting 6-of-11 (54.5%) from the field that included 2-of-5 from three. He nailed both of his free throws and nabbed six boards total, which tied him for the team lead with 24-year-old Isaac Jones. Raynaud also had two assists and a steal, finishing with 16 points and a +5 when he was on the floor. The one downside is that he didn't record any blocks.

The former Stanford Cardinal star had a huge first half, collecting 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Clifford took over in the second half, scoring 16 of his 17 after the break. He was aided by Mason Jones' 13 in the second half in the winning effort.