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NBA Draft Grades: Did Raptors nail it with Gradey Dick choice?

ByMike Luciano|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 22: Gradey Dick arrives prior to the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 22: Gradey Dick arrives prior to the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

The Toronto Raptors used the No. 13 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to select Kansas wing Gradey Dick in a move that was clearly done to improve the team’s 3-point shooting. Rather than drafting for positional versatility above all else, Toronto stopped the bleeding in a big way. 

Dick has been warmly received by Raptors fans and the NBA community as a whole. On top of the fact many were bullish on his potential as a player, irrespective of where he got picked, the fit with a Raptors team that is trying to change their whole style of offense seems to be ideal.

In a draft that saw the incredibly raw Bilal Coulibaly be picked No. 7 overall and players who averaged 5.1 points per game end up in the lottery, the fact that Toronto ended up adding a player who broke all sorts of freshman records for an illustrious college program is a solid move from Masai Ujiri.

The rest of the NBA media world seems to be in lockstep with that thinking, as most criticisms of the pick seem to be relatively mild and sandwiched in between praise. The league seems to think that Toronto knocked everything out of the park.

NBA Draft Grades after Toronto Raptors draft Gradey Dick.

  • Bleacher Report: B. This was the lowest grade among many of the major publications, as they believe Dick is a much more limited athlete than most. While the lack of quickness and strength is an issue, B/R liked the fact that Dick is a tremendous shooter and off-ball mover on offense.
  • Sports Illustrated: B+. Part of the season SI was all-in on Dick is the fact they thought he was a terrific value play at this point in the draft. They were surprised that Dick made it out of the Top 10, and they praised Toronto for taking him.
  • CBS Sports: A-. Dick was referred to as “the second-best shooter on the board” by CBS, which shows the high regard they have for him. They believe h can play a huge role in fixing the issues that popped up last season.
  • Yahoo Sports: A. Yahoo was all in on the Dick choice, as they believe his collection of talent is exactly what the Raptors needed. Like many other Dick supporters, Yahoo believes that his ability to cut to the rim and his shooting will allow him to transition to the pros quickly.
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