Toronto Raptors’ Rookie Gradey Dick: Sharp Shooter and Tenacious Defender

Gradey Dick had a rather unremarkable first half of the 2023/24 season. Despite being selected as the 13th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, he had limited minutes in the first 40 games, with a dismal shooting efficiency of 28.2% and only 23.9% from the three-point line.

However, in the last 16 games, Gradey Dick has shown significant improvement. During this period, he averaged 9.8 points per game, raised his shooting efficiency to 52.6%, and converted 46.8% of his three-point attempts into points. This impressive performance has earned Gradey Dick trust within the Toronto Raptors’ lineup.

Gradey Dick poses a significant threat from beyond the arc Gradey Dick’s three-point shooting ability is his most impressive weapon. He had a three-point shooting percentage of 40.3% during his time in NCAA, and currently boasts a 38.2% shooting percentage in the NBA.

At the age of 21, Gradey Dick still has room for improvement in many skills. One of the things he excels at is his pump fake, with a flawless motion that deceives opponents. Once he draws the defensive player into the air, Gradey Dick simply makes a quick step in the opposite direction, creating enough space to execute a three-point shot.

Since the beginning of 2024, Gradey Dick has a shooting efficiency of 58.8% on pump fakes from the wings. In the entire NBA, only Norman Powell and Grayson Allen have a better shooting efficiency than the Toronto Raptors’ rookie.

Gradey Dick is not just a three-point specialist In games, Gradey Dick’s role is often that of a pure three-point shooter. However, he also possesses other skills to diversify his offensive arsenal.

A prime example is when the Toronto Raptors utilize Gradey Dick’s three-point shooting ability to create pressure on the defense. To minimize the risk, Trae Young is forced to close in on Gradey Dick to defend the three-pointer. But with just one pass and a cut with Pascal Siakam, Gradey Dick finds enough space to drive to the basket and score easily.

Of course, this strategy depends on one factor: Trae Young is considered an average defender in the NBA. But with his ability to cut to the basket, Gradey Dick can still create pressure in various ways for the Toronto Raptors.

Gradey Dick is gradually improving his physicality in defense In reality, cutting to the basket is not Gradey Dick’s strong suit. He is a pure shooting guard, lacking speed, explosiveness for breakthroughs, and his ball control is only at a decent level. In fact, Gradey Dick is even considered somewhat slow compared to the standard for a shooting guard.

But with a height of 1.98m, Gradey Dick can still aim for a complementary role to become a wing defender and three-point shooter if he develops his muscles correctly. “I have to pay attention to my diet to become an energetic player. These are the small details that I always try to improve. There are a lot of things I have to learn, as my previous basketball knowledge didn’t allow me to do that,” Gradey Dick shared with The Athletic.

At the Toronto Raptors, there is no shortage of players who have become famous for their wing defense and supplementary scoring role. OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa are prime examples. For Gradey Dick, he has a good defensive mindset and decision-making ability for a rookie.

Moreover, his observational skills against opponents’ attackers are highly rated. It’s worth noting that Gradey Dick is currently the best foul drawer for the Toronto Raptors, despite ranking only 10th in the team in minutes played. Drawing fouls is not easy, but Gradey Dick is doing this task very well.

It’s too early to say whether Gradey Dick can develop into a great player in the NBA. However, he has a lot of potential to develop, and if he can maintain his form, he will soon become a part of the Toronto Raptors’ rebuilding efforts in the not-too-distant future.