While the Sacramento Kings did get the tar kicked out of them by the Clippers, there were a couple of bright spots. In particular, rookie guard Nique Clifford had his best game of the season by far. Slowly but surely, he is living up to the potential fans saw from him in the preseason.
During the course of the Kings' four game preseason, Clifford was on a bit of a roll. He was shooting well, picking up double-digit points in every outing. His best preseason game was, oddly enough, against the Clippers. He finished with 19 points, three rebounds, and one steal.
More recently, Clifford almost repeated that performance against the Clippers with 18 points, one rebound, two assists, and one block. For some reason, he really seems to play well against the Clippers, regardless of who is on the court for Los Angeles.
Ultimately, Clifford was the top Kings' shooter and outscored everyone else on the team. He went seven for 12 from the field, shooting 58.3 percent. He looked even better from three, where he shot three for five at 60.0%. The next highest scorers were Westbrook and Raynaud with 12 points each.
Clifford's future looks bright on the Kings
While his stellar preseason play raised the hopes of fans and pundits alike, it took some time for Clifford to find an NBA rhythm. That's to be expected, though. Any rookie setting foot on an professional basketball court for the first time can be forgiven for needing a second to acclimate.
The issue for Clifford, in particular, on the Kings is even more difficult than what an average rookie faces. Sacramento has a huge logjam at the guard positions, limiting minutes and rotation spaces dramatically. Being a young guard in the Kings means Clifford is always fighting for his spot.
With all of the injuries the Kings have been facing, space in the rotation opened up for Clifford, and he did not waste it. He's become more confident and aggressive, both as a defender and as a scorer. He has hit double-digits in three of the last four games, culminating in his best performance to date.
It's hard to say whether Nique Clifford can morph into a solid point guard for the Kings, but he is proving to be a strong shooting guard with a big upside. Now, Sacramento just needs to keep that momentum going and continue to build on Clifford's strong foundations.