Despite being selected in the lottery in the 2023 NBA Draft, Gradey Dick spent the majority of the past two months in the G League while he worked through a shooting slump. The 6-foot-6 rookie guard has been playing much better lately and recently had a career night.
In the Toronto Raptors' 138-100 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, the former Kansas basketball standout let his team in points scored with 22. He shot 9-for-16 from the field (4-for-8 from beyond the arc) while adding on four rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
It was Dick's highest point total for the year, and he connected on four 3-pointers for the second time ever. The 30 minutes played also marked another career-high for the Wichita native.
Because it was a blowout loss, head coach Darko Rajaković was able to give him some extra playing time. He outnumbered all the players in the starting rotation in minutes and made the most of his extended opportunity.
"He was able to get on the spot, on the floor, to get open shots," Rajaković said in his postgame press conference. "He was able to get a couple of really good cuts. I thought there were a couple of opportunities more for him to do that. He did a good job today on the offensive end, but as a whole team, he needs to do better on the defensive end and rebounding."
At Kansas, Dick averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 36 games. He made the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and All-Big 12 Second Team during his lone season in Lawrence and went on to be drafted this summer.
A slow start to the season has left some Raptors fans questioning his potential, but he recently turned 20 years old and is an exceptional shooter for his size. As Dick continues to gain confidence and improve on the defensive end, he figures to make a fine NBA starter if all pans out.