Winners and losers from Raptors 2023 preseason performance
By Mike Luciano
Loser: Gradey Dick
This isn’t necessarily a direct fault of Dick’s performance, as his trademark 3-point shot appeared to make the trip up from Kansas and he was playing with the energy fans wanted to see. Those hoping to see him in the rotation might be in for a bit of a disappointment.
While Rajakovic did make mention of all the positive things Dick is doing in his first action with Toronto, he was also reprimanded by the unnaturally cheerful coach for “rushing” in his first few games. The surplus of forwards might also make it challenging for Dick to stand out.
Gradey Dick might sit on the bench for the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors are willing to give Malachi Flynn a vital role as the backup point guard, and names like Chris Boucher and Jalen McDaniels have performed way too well for Rajakovic to exclude them from the proceedings. Fans might see a few DNP-CDs in Dick’s immediate future.
The Raptors invested in Dick believing that he would be a star, but it might take some time before he can kick someone more established out of the rotation. That may not be the wisest move for a team that needs shooting, but this is certainly not unprecedented for someone who can’t even buy a beer in America.