The Toronto Raptors have been one of the hardest teams to figure out thus far in the 2023-24 season. Coming off an embarrassing loss against the terrible Portland Trail Blazers, it was unclear which version of the Raptors would show up against the mighty Milwaukee Bucks. But the Raptors set the pace with a torrid-shooting first quarter, and the energy they had on the offensive end of the court carried over on defense. In fact, in the first quarter, rookie wing Gradey Dick courageously drew a charge on Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Such a heroic act shouldn't go unnoticed; not only is hitting the hardwood painful enough as it is, taking a charge from a player built like a freight train like Antetokounmpo also could not have been easy at all to take for anyone's body. Thus, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic gave the 19-year old rookie the praise he deserves for putting his body on the line that early in the game.

“He’s got some guts,” Rajakovic told reporters after the Raptors' 130-111 win over the Bucks, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN. According to Lewenberg, the Raptors head coach also paused before muttering the word “guts”, deciding for a split-second whether or not to use a word that could be perceived as an innuendo for something suggestive given Gradey Dick's surname.

Knowing how much talent the Bucks have, it was imperative for the Raptors to nail the little things to put themselves in a position to succeed on Wednesday night. And they came out with an excellent game plan, and their shots from beyond the arc were falling as well especially early on. They also outhustled their opponents, with Dick helping set the tone for what was a locked-in Raptors team from top to bottom.

Gradey Dick's minutes have been trending upwards as of late, as he's slowly endearing himself to Darko Rajakovic and the rest of the Raptors coaching staff with the effort he puts in on the defensive end of the floor. Drafted 13th overall primarily for his offensive game, it looks like Dick is fleshing out his game early on in his career, which bodes well for his development as a long-term keeper.