Nique

Clifford

Clifford played a good amount of minutes down the stretch of the season for the Kings due to Keegan Murray (ankle) missing time. While the 24-year-old shooting guard had at least 18 points in four of his last five games, he struggled with his shot at times in March and April. Still, there are flashes of potential with Clifford, though in order for him to be fantasy-relevant he has to enter next year in the starting lineup.

Murray was cleared to resume contact on March 25, but he’ll end the season with his last game action occurring on February 25. Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden have seen their minutes increase substantially over the final month of the season, and they should play plenty on Sunday.

The rookie struggled with his shot in this game but made up for it by getting to the free throw line. This was his fourth career game scoring at least 20 points, with two of those coming in his last four games. There were high expectations for him to be an NBA-ready rookie, and he has had some excellent games this year, though his role early on was too limited for his season-long numbers to be strong. Still, there were some impressive flashes, and if he is able to remain a starter next season, he may be able to make a real impact for fantasy managers.

Clifford and the Kings lost by 29 points, but that didn’t stop the 24-year-old guard from playing 38 minutes and amassing a full stat line. He’s had enough production in his rookie season to be encouraged about his fantasy prospects in the future. The Kings have three games in the final week of the regular season, starting with a matchup against the Warriors on Tuesday.

Clifford was one of the Kings’ most productive players on Friday; he led the team in assists and three-pointers while finishing second in points. The rookie also logged a team-high in minutes, and like fellow rookie Maxime Raynaud, Clifford has had a very encouraging season for the Kings. He’ll be an intriguing player to follow from a fantasy standpoint going forward.

DeRozan and Monk will return after both players sat out Sunday’s matchup with the Nets. Nique Clifford and Devin Carter could see their roles reduced with DeRozan and Monk back in action.

Moved into the starting lineup thanks to the absences of Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan, Clifford played 37 minutes on Sunday. With Saturday’s loss to the Hawks being his first game back after a two-game absence, the rookie playing that much on Sunday was surprising. However, Clifford was productive in his time on the floor and did not experience a setback with his foot. The Kings play three games in Week 23, starting with the Raptors on Wednesday.

The Kings are without Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan for Sunday’s game. Clifford and Plowden move from the bench to the starting lineup, with the former playing both games of Sacramento’s back-to-back after missing two games with a foot injury.

DeRozan will sit out Sunday’s game with a sore hamstring, with this being the Kings’ second game in as many days. Nique Clifford is available, but Saturday’s loss to the Hawks was his first game back from a foot injury. While the rookie may have more opportunities on offense, his playing time may not increase much.

Clifford, who injured his foot during a March 22 game against the Nets, returned sooner than expected, as he only missed two games. The positives for fantasy managers were the rookie’s ability to play 23 minutes without issue, as well as the rebounds and assists. However, Clifford had a brutal night shooting the basketball, going 0-of-5 from two and 1-of-6 from three. With the Kings visiting the Nets on Sunday, Clifford should be considered questionable.