Sacramento Kings rookie Nique Clifford believes there have been some on-court positives and areas of improvement to work on after two preseason games.
Clifford is averaging 12.5 points, 5.5 assists, three rebounds and 1.5 steals on 44.4% shooting from the field with the Kings. He recorded 10 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and one blocked shot in his last outing on Friday.
The 24th pick has been superb with his playmaking on offense, dishing out nine assists alone in his debut on Wednesday. He has dazzled in the open court with his vision, but he admitted that there are a few plays he would like to have back after committing six turnovers.
A lot of things I can continue to clean up and get better at but so far, it has been some good and some bad. Some good reads and decisions I made, but also a lot of areas that I got to improve, especially defensively and taking care of the ball sometimes. It has been a lot of fun, though, just competing at a high level and trying to get a feel for everything.
Clifford was highly touted out of Colorado State because of his versatility and ability to play multiple positions on offense. He has showcased those traits early in training camp, enabling him to have two productive performances in game action.
Kings coach Doug Christie has been impressed with Clifford and believes the 23-year-old is further along in several areas than initially thought, especially in pick-and-roll situations. The team is pleased with how he can impact games in various ways.
Clifford wants to continue to make a name for himself and perform at a high level over their last two preseason games. He is excited to take the court next on Wednesday against the LA Clippers.
“It is a great opportunity,” Clifford said. “We got to take advantage of it, especially playing with that young group at the end. Those are the times we’re going to get before the season starts. You never know what it looks like when the regular season starts, so when you do get those minutes, you got to take advantage of it and make the most of your opportunity.”