Doug Christie Addresses Nique Clifford's Quiet Showing

Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie gets honest about his confidence in rookie Nique Clifford

Dec 3, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) shoots outside against the Houston Rockets during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings continued their free-fall to start the season, dropping to 6-20 on the season after another loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It's not a shock that the Kings are bad, but it is surprising that they are this bad.

To make matters worse, they don't really have any young talent to be super excited about with a star in the waiting. But if there's one player to keep an eye on, it's rookie Nique Clifford. Keegan Murray is getting a lot of attention for his future with the team and the hope of becoming a star, but Clifford has the most potential when given his age and experience.

But it was another quiet night for Clifford last night against the Timberwolves, as he finished with zero points and just a steal in 13:19 minutes of action, only taking (and missing) one shot. Christie was asked about Clifford's struggles and if that was another step in the growth of the rookie wing.

"Absolutely. I mean, these are things he's going to have to go through. And to be honest, I just need to leave him out there sometimes and let him work through that. And that's on me. Sometimes we have to fight through it, and understand that those are the learning lessons that he needs in those moments," Christie stated.

But that's easier said than done, especially with the Kings, and Christie especially, still doing their best to win. He continued to note just that, as well as his continued confidence and trust in the rookie.

Trust Not Wavering

"And we have to, as a team and organization, need to understand that, but no loss of confidence in him. Love him, love what he brings. He'll be right back out there doing his thing. Just trying to keep it simple for him so that he continues not only to keep his confidence, but to build his confidence on a night-to-night basis.

With the season already essentially over, the Kings would do best to give Clifford as many minutes and opportunities as possible. The 23-year-old is averaging 4.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 37.8% shooting from the field and 27.5% from three.

Those are rookie numbers, indeed, that show that Clifford is still adjusting to the NBA. He has flashes where he shows why everyone in Sacramento is so excited about his potential, but overall still looks timid and makes mistakes that he's having to work through.

Dec 11, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) dribbles the ball past Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) during the third quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Interestingly enough, he looks at his best in garbage time when he's in with the other young players and he has a higher usage role on offense. It makes sense, as it's a role that he's used to. But when he's out there with the other Kings stars, he tends to fade into the background.

It's something that he'll either need to learn, or the Kings will have to experiment and let him run the show more and more. He may have only played just over 13 minutes last night, but hopefully that's a number that continues to rise as the future takes precedence in Sacramento as the season continues.