The Sacramento Kings have far too many guards, creating a backlog of players looking for minutes at those positions. Despite that, the coaches have been finding time for [Nique Clifford to get some reps](https://aroyalpain.com/kings-gave-nique-clifford-shot-he-already-earned) in. His development has been slow, but it's there, and he'll be key to the rebuild.
On the current Kings' roster, there are a total of ten guards. That number doesn't count two-way players, but it does count anyone who is a guard-forward. It's a lot of players competing for time at only two positions on the court, keeping in mind that starters will get the most minutes.
This has left a lot of players getting minimal time, if any at all. Devin Carter rarely sets foot on the court, though that is also a symptom of the fact that the Kings appear to have given up on the kid. Still, other young guards are slowly finding a place in Sacramento's rotation.
The Kings find minutes for Clifford
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Nique Clifford is a prime example of this. He didn't get a lot of playing time early in the regular season [due to an injury](https://aroyalpain.com/kings-bad-luck-season-continues-with-yet-another-devastating-injury). Once the calendar turned to November and he healed up, his usage definitely increased, though how many minutes he got ranged drastically.
There have been games where Clifford has played more than 30 minutes. And there have also been a few games where he's played less than 10 minutes, going as low as six in a game on November 28. The same can be said about his production.
Clifford is all over the map when it comes to points, rebounds, and assists. That tends to correspond with how many minutes he gets, as well as how tough the team the Kings are facing is. It doesn't mean he isn't putting in the effort, though. Nique only has one gear, and that's full steam ahead.
Nique is the future of the Kings
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The Kings are planning a rebuild that will take a few years to complete and come to fruition. Despite there being other players who should remain, such as Maxime Raynaud, both Keegan Murray and Nique Clifford have been highlighted as key parts of that future.
That makes sense as Clifford has the potential to develop into one of the top players in the league. While his minutes and usage have varied drastically, he has shown growth throughout the season so far. He definitely needs more time and reps, but he's going to get there.
Nique's development also requires the Kings to stay focused on the task at hand. While they have a shocking number of guards, they need to put work into him. It seems like Doug Christie and his crew are on top of the situation, so Clifford will get where he needs to go.