Kings' Rookie Leads NBA in Surprising Stat Since All-Star Break

Nique Clifford has been increasingly looking like a steal as the 24th pick in last year’s NBA draft, and to think there was a very real chance the Sacramento Kings could’ve come out of the day with zero first-round picks. Scott Perry, BJ Armstrong, and the rest of the Kings’ new front office deserve a ton of credit for identifying the guy they wanted and finding a deal that made sense for the future and present. Sure, the Oklahoma City Thunder could find a gem with the pick that the Kings are giving up, and Clifford still needs to improve; however, one stat that came up makes me even more confident that Nique will be a huge part of the next competitive Sacramento Kings team.

Most Steals Post All-Star Break In The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season :

1. Nique Clifford — 24
2. Cason Wallace — 23
2. John Konchar — 23
4. Tyrese Maxey — 22
5. Amen Thompson — 21
5. Dyson Daniels — 21
5. Luka Doncic — 21
5. OG Anunoby… https://t.co/Io2bXNWZsw pic.twitter.com/xKqAir7fiW
— Stat Defender (@statdefender) March 13, 2026

Out with the Old, In With The New

I think Kings fans would find my home address if I tried to make the point that Clifford's development makes the Keon Ellis trade the right decision, so that’s not what I’m going to do here. Having Ellis and Clifford both on the roster would be huge for the Kings’ perimeter defense (and shooting). Unfortunately, with Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and DeMar DeRozan still on the team, finding minutes for Ellis was going to be a challenge.

With Nique, it was clear the Kings saw a more switchable defender that could also grow into the type of on-ball threat that Ellis couldn’t. Ellis and Clifford are actually very similar in height, but weight and strength are becoming increasingly important in the modern NBA, where switching has become the norm. For a while, Ellis’s activity defensively and his shooting kept him above Clifford on the virtual pecking order, but Nique is now taking up the mantle as one of the more disruptive players in the league.

Opening the Door

Clifford is only averaging about a steal per game despite the recent uptick, but the numbers really don’t tell the story in my opinion. The Kings have been limited defensively for years, with multiple small guards in the mix for years now.

Even De’Aaron Fox, who at least holds his own defensively, needed a bigger guard next to him to prevent being hunted by stronger players. If the Kings were going to commit to Ellis, not only would they need another guard who can defend larger players in the starting lineup, but that guard would also need to be able to be the primary playmaker every single time down the floor.

this sequence 🔥 pic.twitter.com/D2brCSRP0D
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) March 12, 2026

The NBA has clearly become more switch-heavy defensively, but flexibility has become increasingly valuable on offense as well. A while ago, I wrote about Clifford’s best outcome being something like Derrick White, and while that still might be a long shot, there are a lot of White-esque players around the league making an impact.

Christian Braun, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and others who may not be quite at the level of White are proving that this archetype is one of the most valuable in the NBA. Clifford still has a ways to go to be in those talks, but you can see the blueprint for how leaning on him allows the Kings to open up all kinds of lineup possibilities.

Per the Kings:

With his field goal at the 2:24 mark in the 4Q tonight vs. CLE, Nique Clifford becomes the fourth rookie in franchise history to record 30+ points and five-plus 3-pointers in a single game.
— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) February 8, 2026

Generalists Over Specialists

Good to great teams can really take advantage of specialists like Ellis, but teams that are still building need guys who can do a little bit of everything and help pieces fit together. To me, this is why Ellis has looked so good with the Cleveland Cavaliers and why Clifford has helped the Kings be more competitive despite all their injuries and issues. Clifford may not be as disruptive as Ellis, and he definitely isn’t the same level of shooter, but the signs of improvement in those areas make losing Ellis hurt much less.

The cherry on top is the switchability and creation that I mentioned on top of the rebounding upside. Right now, the Kings need players who can do a little bit of everything, and Clifford is exactly the type of player who will make the life of any top pick much easier.

Clifford's steal numbers are just one piece of a much larger puzzle, but the combination of versatility and feel is a great sign of what’s to come. Unfortunately, the Kings didn't need a specialist like Ellis; they needed exactly what Clifford is becoming. As Sacramento continues to build toward something sustainable, having a player like Clifford already in place with a potential top-5 pick coming in is a great start.