Clifford is already 23 years old after playing five years of college basketball. He is perceived as a plug-and-play wing who could be a nice complimentary two-way piece and crack a rotation sooner rather than later, especially if the shooting gains we saw recently prove to be sustainable.
About
Played 3 seasons at Colorado before transferring to Colorado State.
Averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals with 50/38/78 shooting splits last season.
Named first-team and defensive team All-Mountain West and was MVP of the MW Tournament in his final season.
Strengths
Versatile defender: He can guard multiple positions and also has good playmaking instincts on that end of the floor.
Perimeter rebounding: His 9.6 rebounds per game, and 8.1 on the defensive glass, were among the best in college basketball last year, especially for a wing.
Cutting, passing, and pull-up shooting: While the 3-point shooting is the single most important offensive variable, he owns a variety of complimenting skills on that end of the floor.
Weaknesses
One of the oldest prospects in the draft: He already turned 23 years old and so he’s 5 years older than other first-round candidates.
Lack of perceived upside: He took on more playmaking responsibilities this year at Colorado State, but that isn’t expected to be his role in the NBA.
Uncertainty about his long-term shooting consistency: While his shooting improved in the last two years at Colorado State, he was still streaky and had a somewhat inconsistent release after retooling his mechanics at CSU.
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