Gradey Dick is back on the court for the Raptors. After a few DNPs, Dick played 13 minutes against the Mavericks. He recorded 10 points on 4-8 shooting from the field, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic praised Dick’s work ethic and the effort he put into his craft despite falling out of the rotation. He also offered a positive outlook on the 22-year-old’s future in the league.
“When you look at a history of high-level shooters, I think those guys all stay four years in college, or they get drafted early and they pick up on later on what they need to do because it is a very specific job,” Rajakovic said. “You need to come in the game, and you need to knock down shots…and understand the importance of every shot but not put too much on an outcome.”
Dick left Kansas after just one season and is now in his third season with the Raptors. His struggles have been beyond disappointing for Raptors fans, but maybe he’s actually still on the right path and it’s too early to give up on him.
Gradey Dick’s shooting hasn’t translated to the NBA yet
Dick was an excellent 3-point shooter in college. He sank 40.3% of his 5.7 attempts per game. So far, he hasn’t been a great 3-point threat in the NBA. He was solid in his first two seasons, shooting 36.5% and 35%, but never anything above average.
His shooting took another hit in his third season. His accuracy dropped to 30.6%, and he went from taking six threes per game to averaging 2.6. The lower volume can be attributed to his new role. Dick was a full-time starter in his second season and played almost 30 minutes per game. Now, he’s coming off the bench and only averaging around 15 minutes.
While the 3-point shooting needs to come around for Dick to fulfill his potential, Rajakovic said after the win over Dallas that the youngster was beginning to learn that shooting isn’t the only thing that can keep him on the court.
The Raptors could use a 3-point specialist
When the Raptors drafted Gradey Dick there was a clear need for 3-point shooting and a vision for his role on the team. The Raptors finished the 2022-23 season 28th in 3-point percentage, making only 33.5% of their shots. So, drafting a 3-point specialist made a lot of sense.
A few seasons later, Toronto could still use some improvement from the 3-point line. 63 games into the season, the Raptors rank 22nd in 3-point percentage, sinking 34.6% of their shots. They also take the sixth-fewest shots from behind the arc. The only playoff team sporting fewer attempts and a lower shooting percentage is Detroit.
The Raptors have several good 3-point shooters. Immanuel Quickley, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Brandon Ingram, and Ja’Kobe Walter are all currently shooting between 36% and 38% on at least three attempts per game for the season. Jamison Battle leads the team in shooting percentage with 41.7% but only takes 1.3 shots per game.