Gradey Dick had an especially tough October.
Despite coach Darko Rajakovic’s strong belief in his potential, it often seemed like Dick’s spot with the Raptors was just barely hanging on. In the six games he played last month, Dick averaged about 14.7 minutes per game. His stats during that time were 7.0 points per game, with a shooting percentage of 36.4 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from three, along with 2.3 rebounds and 0.3 assists.
But to be fair, October wasn't the most friendly month to the entire Raptors outlook overall, so maybe Dick could shift things in a better direction. And thankfully for Raptors Nation, Dick is doing just that.
Gradey Dick is heating things up for the Raptors
November has been especially gracious to the Raptors, where they've gone 7-1 so far at the time of writing. In this positive stretch, Dick is proving to be of great help to their efforts. Dick's on-court run is up slightly to 18.3 minutes per game, but he's making the most of those limited minutes. He's improved his efficiency, averaging 47.8 percent from the field and a solid 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Looking at the advanced stats, it really shows the significant impact Gradey Dick has had for the Raptors. Dick currently holds a net rating of +17.3, which is second-highest on the team just behind fellow sniper Jamison Battle, who has a net rating of +33.0. But bearing Battle's struggle to secure significant minutes in mind, I think it'd be fair to give that crown to Dick, seeing as he's an impactful rotation player on a nightly basis. In fact, this +17.3 net rating puts Dick in the top 10 across the entire NBA, where he ranks eighth in the league.
Dick is also making a big impact on defense. He ranks sixth in the entire NBA in defensive rating, with a score of 102.1. This means that when Gradey Dick is on the court, opposing teams are only able to score about 102.1 points per 100 possessions. Dick also has the lowest turnover ratio on the Raptors, coming in at 4.7%. This means that when Gradey Dick is on the court, only 4.7% of the Raptors' possessions result in a turnover.
Ideally, it might be worth the Raptors giving Gradey Dick a few more minutes. He seems to be even more impactful when he plays 20 minutes or more, with a 64.7 percent field goal percentage, 63.6 percent from three, and a true shooting percentage of 88.5 percent in just a three-game sample.
Put simply, with Dick's shooting edge and surprise defensive uptick, the Raptors can operate even more efficiently in half-court sets. Hopefully, the 21-year-old Raptors junior can keep up this pace toward even bigger footprints within the team's framework.