A skilled wing who has a chance to be the best three-point shooter from this year's draft class, Gradey Dick will be taking his talents to the Toronto Raptors after they selected him with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
There is no denying that Dick is one of the best sharpshooters to come out of this draft, but what has flown under the radar are his abilities to be an all-around playmaker. Obviously his perimeter game sticks out, yet Dick really made a name for himself during his freshman year at Kansas by making an impact on both sides of the ball and getting his teammates involved as well.
Standing 6'6″ on the wing with a 6'9″ wingspan, there is no denying that he is ready to make an impact from his very first game in the NBA. Shooting is at a premium in today's game, and Dick just has a knack for scoring from the perimeter. This is why the Raptors drafted him and why he is going to be a potential All-Rookie performer.
Here is everything you need to know about the newest member of the Raptors as they look to get back in the mix in the Eastern Conference.
Gradey Dick's Pre-College Basketball Career
Born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, Gradey Dick never left the state until he transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy for his final two years of high school. Named to the rosters for the McDonald's All-American Game and Nike Hoop Summit, Dick emerged as a five-star recruit on a lot of program's radars after being a two-time Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year. During his senior year, Dick was extremely impressive from three-point range, shooting 46.7 percent from deep. The skilled perimeter shooter received offers from Alabama, Baylor and Creighton before committing to play for Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks.
Gradey Dick's College Basketball Career
Playing in 36 games, all of which he started in this past season, Gradey Dick finished his freshman season at Kansas averaging 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 40.3 percent from three-point range. He made at least two threes in 23 different games, including six made threes against North Carolina State in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. His top scoring performance though came in February against Oklahoma State, as Dick scored 26 points on 10-17 shooting and 4-9 from three-point range.
Setting the Kansas freshman record for three-point field goals made with 83 threes, Dick also made an impact for his team as a rebounder on the wing. He recorded his only double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Howard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. After a stellar freshman year, Dick was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Big 12 Teams. The Raptors are getting a strong perimeter scorer who has also proven time and time again that he can score by getting to the rim. As an above-average athlete for normally being a shooting threat, Dick is ready to make his presence felt in the NBA.
Gradey Dick's NBA Draft Fit With Raptors
I am sure you have heard by now that Gradey Dick is one of the best perimeter shooters in this draft class. Dick continued to shoot well throughout the pre-draft process, hence why he ended up being a lottery pick. What has gone unnoticed in his game is the fact that he can really make a difference in other ways on the offensive end of the floor. Dick is stronger than many think and has a high understanding for when cutting to the rim when playing off the ball. On the defensive end of the floor, Dick can hold his own against crafty guard with a 6'9″ wingspan that allows him to help disrupt passing lanes.
On the Raptors, Dick's three-point shooting will be much welcomed after they struggled from deep this past season. There have been a lot of questions about Toronto's future, with plenty of trade rumors going around and Fred VanVleet possibly on his way out, but this team needed shooting no matter what. The Raptors will get that in Dick, who could be an excellent complementary option around the current core in place.
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