Keeler: CSU Rams star Nique Clifford’s road to NBA Draft? Derrick White helped light his path.
As a film nerd with a -inch vertical Nique Clifford only borrows from the best Kobe Bryant SGA Josh Hart Jalen Williams Derrick White So so so sooooo much Derrick White I ve watched highlights on him and just tried to examination it a little bit of just how solid he is defensively Clifford the gifted and genial former CSU Rams wing described me by phone earlier this week He s not somebody that s gambling He just guards really well and is super disciplined So that s something I ve tried to watch and pick up from his match And then getting to go to pick-up games and play with him you just see how high-level a shot-maker he is So that was kind of one of the first people one of the first pro dudes that I was able to be around And to measure himself against On Wednesday Clifford s expected to officially join White the ex-CU and Legend High great in the NBA ranks Projections say the -foot- Clifford will become just the ninth former Colorado boys high school basketball participant in the last years to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft And only the fourth since following Dalton Knecht Reggie Jackson and White That motivational story that he has that just pushes you to want to be better Clifford stated of White Because my path wasn t smooth sailing either And so just to see a guy that went through what he went through and to get where he s at now it definitely is inspiration and more motivation At years old with college games and six NCAA Tournament appearances at CU two and CSU four under his belt Clifford might be the Class of rookie most of ready mentally and physically to plug and play to use right out of the box The only mysteries are where and how much ESPN com on Monday pegged him going at New Orleans with pick No The Ringer slotted him at No to Minnesota USA This day projected him in Utah at pick No as did Yahoo Sports As of Monday Clifford had visited teams for in-person interviews and workouts If I m on a higher-level band like the Thunder a playoff-contention organization I maybe would be more of a stand-in-the-corner catch-and-shoot guy Clifford mused Be a defender rebounder and just having more simplicity to my tournament just because they ve got their stars Maybe with a club that s still growing you might get more opportunity to be a playmaker or have the ball a little more I m not saying you re going to you ll supposedly still be in the same role but you might have a little more freedom It ultimately comes down to what the squad necessities based on personnel and then just the opportunity they give you based on what you get to showcase to them once training camp comes and what they see from you in Summer League and how they want to implement you within their system Yeah I don t have a clue what I m going to be at the next level Or where I m going to be either But if you ask it he ll try it The eye test says Clifford s cut from a prototype -and-D mold given a - reach and as a collegian having guarded positions - on the floor like the guy in the other jersey just keyed his car It s a huge thing Clifford noted If you can make that three it just spaces the floor so much more especially in the NBA It allows the star players to have more space to go -on- and do certain things It s been an essential part of my training and pre-draft process of just trying to become more consistent as a three-point shooter especially with the line moving back even farther now I ve even had to adjust Clifford s -point shot was a pet project of Ali Farokhmanesh then a Rams assistant and now the men s basketball coach at CSU Farokhmanesh took everything from Nique s feet to his elbows to his release point pulled it apart as if it were a LEGO set and put everything back together again brick by brick Related Articles Keeler Josh Kroenke s new Nuggets GM plan feels like Dunder Mifflin Only joke s on Nikola Jokic Renck vs Keeler Will Rockies follow Charlie Monfort s advice for change Keeler Broncos Marvin Mims says bromance with QB Bo Nix just getting started We re going to do certain special things Rockies Journal German Marquez leads agreement parade hands off Ezequiel Tovar Hunter Goodman Grading The Week Shedeur Sanders necessities to slow down Or next ticket could be one-way flight out of Cleveland Sure enough the bricks from distance stopped Clifford connected on of his treys as a Ram up from a clip over his final season at CU Scouts noticed Heck so did White who still works out here over the summer The pair even hooked up a pregame tailgate just before the CU-CSU football challenge in FoCo last September to catch up and swap notes And he was just saying kind of how proud he was of the upsurge and improvement and the spot I m in Clifford recalled and just definitely saying that I m ready for the next level And it was just cool to hear from a guy that caliber somebody from the same place I m from Because I ve got a lot of respect and love for his challenge as well Talent borrows Genius steals Want more sports news Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver s teams
