2025-26 Season
NIQUE CLIFFORD
2025-26 Season
NIQUE CLIFFORD
PBP Credit: Every play is analyzed from play-by-play data. Scorers get difficulty-adjusted credit, assisters get creation value based on the shot opportunity they created, and turnovers are classified by type. Shot difficulty is derived from 1M+ shots across 4 seasons. Full methodology
TEAM COMPARISON
of 17 teammates (10+ games, 10+ min)
Similar Players
Same position, closest production profile this season.
SKILL DNA
Percentile rank vs 245 Guards with 10+ games
THE SEASON SO FAR
Nique Clifford's opening stretch of the season was defined by staggering offensive invisibility and a maddening inability to secure a consistent role. He spent most nights floating aimlessly through the rotation. Even when he actually found the bottom of the net on 11/05 vs GSW, scoring 12 points as a starter, his overall impact cratered to -4.8. He shot well from deep that night, but frequent off-ball defensive lapses bled points and entirely erased his scoring value. The bottom truly fell out on 11/07 vs OKC, where a total inability to generate separation and rushed perimeter shots resulted in a brutal -9.1 impact mark. Yet, amidst the wreckage, he occasionally found ways to be useful without scoring. During the 11/24 vs MIN matchup, Clifford tallied just 3 points but posted a stellar +4.4 impact score. He managed this by grabbing six rebounds and putting on a masterclass in impacting the margins through relentless hustle rather than demanding offensive touches.
Nique Clifford’s midseason stretch was defined by maddening inconsistency and an offensive passivity that routinely crippled his team's spacing. Even when his shot was falling, hidden costs often dragged him down. During the 12/30 vs LAC matchup, he poured in 18 points on blistering perimeter efficiency, yet still registered a -1.1 impact score due to severe lineup bleeding while he was on the floor. He occasionally found ways to salvage his value when his jumper abandoned him, like on 12/27 vs DAL. In that contest, he managed a +2.0 impact despite scoring just 8 points on poor finishing, entirely because a relentless motor on the glass secured 9 rebounds and fueled strong defensive rotations. Too often, however, he simply vanished from the offense. His stint on 01/02 vs PHX yielded a disastrous -13.6 impact score, as a complete lack of offensive assertiveness cratered the lineup. Unless Clifford rediscovers his aggression, his minutes will continue to harm the rotation.
A maddening lack of consistency defined Nique Clifford’s midseason stretch, as he swung wildly between smothering defensive masterclasses and catastrophic offensive slumps. When his jumper actually fell, he looked unstoppable. He punished late closeouts to drop 30 points during 02/07 vs CLE, earning a +8.0 impact score. He also found ways to dominate the margins without heavy scoring, generating a massive +13.0 impact score during 02/23 vs MEM purely through relentless point-of-attack defense. Yet, far too often, a high volume of forced perimeter attempts completely tanked his utility. A truly abysmal 1-for-15 shooting display during 02/11 vs UTA erased his defensive effort entirely, dragging his rating down to a brutal -11.2. Even when he managed to score, hidden costs like the defensive miscommunications during 01/30 vs BOS ruined his overall value, yielding a -7.0 impact despite 15 points. Until he stops letting frigid shooting and defensive lapses dictate his nightly worth, his floor will remain dangerously low.
IMPACT TIMELINE
Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.
Inconsistent. Clifford has clear good-night/bad-night splits, with scoring swinging ~7 points between games. You're never quite sure which version shows up.
Middle-of-the-road efficiency — shoots 45%+ from the field in 42% of games. Not automatic, but not a problem either.
Good defender on his best nights, but it comes and goes. Some games Clifford locks in defensively, others he gets picked apart.
Getting better as the season goes on. First-half impact: -8.2, second-half: -0.6. That's a significant jump — could be a role change, confidence, or development clicking.
Hot right now — 5 straight games with positive impact. Longest positive run this season: 6 games.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Based on 72 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.
ON OFFENSE: WHO GUARDED HIM
His shooting stats against each primary defender this season
ON DEFENSE: WHO HE GUARDED
How opponents shot when he was the primary defender. Lower FG% = better defense.
SEASON STATS
GAME LOG
75 games played
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