This Will CHANGE Gradey Dick’s Career…

This Will CHANGE Gradey Dick’s Career…

Folks, there is so much to like about what Grady Dick can potentially be. Theoretically, the perfect type of player to pair next to Scotty Barnes. An elite shooter with high feel and an excellent knack for moving without the ball. Raptors fans have seen flashes of brilliance from him in his first two seasons in the league. He finished out his rookie season knocking down 40% of his threes. He started his sophomore year on fire, looking like a true cornerstone of the franchise with the extra opportunity he was given due to injuries, averaging 17 points in his first 30 games of the season. But with the good comes the bad. Now, before getting into the rest of the video, as always, if you guys possibly can like, comment, subscribe, do those things you guys need to so Raptors Republic can get out to more people. While Grady did take a leap in his second season, he struggled immensely defensively. The weight he added in the offseason quickly evaporated as the year chugged along. While his added strength and size helped him get off to that hot start, and his relentlessness as a driver showed promise, Grady was abysmal as a finisher, shooting just 49% at the rim. For all of his theoretical shotmaking, Grady finished the year just shooting 34.8% from three. He was below average in basically every defensive metric. He struggled in isolation, guarding players in movement, and was frequently targeted by opposing offenses, seeking out a mismatch. The Raptors were nearly six points per 100 possessions better on defense when Grady was off of the floor, according to PBP stats. It would be easy to say that Grady needs to improve as a defender. That’s a given. But how? What is the pathway to improve his defense? It all starts with conditioning. It’s worth noting that Grady averaged nearly 30 minutes a night through 54 games last season, starting in 37 more games than his rookie year. He took five more shots per game, saw a 5% increase in usage, and was in the top 50 in the NBA in miles traveled. The Raptors defensive scheme, predicated on constant ball pressure, didn’t do any favors for Grady. His slow feet weren’t enough to keep up with the quicker guards in the league at the point of attack. Not trying to shoot him any bail here. This is the name of the game. NBA players are expected to perform at this level eventually, especially a lottery pick like him. In the modern NBA, where the surface area defenses are required to cover is even more expansive, being able to occupy space and move quickly is all the more critical. This inherently makes Grady’s life on defense that much harder. But even elsewhere, Grady’s game is particularly taxing. The constant movement required by an offball shooter is perhaps one of the most exhausting jobs in the NBA. Grady was third on the Raptors last season in average miles traveled per game on offense. He was first on the team in distance traveled per game on defense. That ultimately impacted his effectiveness on both ends. Consider this. Grady shot 45% on 111 unguarded threes last season. The issue is he took 137 guarded threes and shot 31% on those. While part of that is scheme and the overall offensive talent around him, the other aspect is that he needs to be faster, quicker to get to his spots, quicker to establish his pace and release his shot. The Raptors ask Grady to take and make difficult threes. But perhaps with more talent on the roster next season, namely Brandon Ingram, the quality of his looks will become better. Think of the best offball shooters in NBA history. Ray Allen, Rip Hamilton, Klay Thompson, JJ Reic. They were all in pristine physical shape, zipping from one spot to another without skipping a beat. And of course, strength is a part of conditioning, too. And Grady needs to find a more sustainable way to keep the weight on that he adds in the off season throughout the year. It’s also hard to track these sort of things without proprietary information. Nevertheless, getting his body right is the ribbon that ties this whole thing together. And Grady is still 21 years old. He has one of the best training staffs in the NBA at his disposal. Not only is his body still developing, but his understanding of what is required to play the game the way he needs to is as well. It’s all a part of the evolution. But with the team intending on competing next season, the rubber needs to meet the road sooner rather than later. Thank you for listening and tapping into this video. This is part of a offseason series that I’m doing detailing one swing skill for basically every Raptor heading into the 2025 2026 season. That was about Grady Dick. Uh I hope you guys enjoyed. Please let me know what your thoughts are on Grady, on what you guys think his swing skill can be, and uh overall your expectations for next season. Take care.

There is so much to like about what Gradey Dick can potentially be. Theoretically, the perfect type of player to pair next to Scottie Barnes: an elite shooter, with high feel and an excellent knack for moving without the ball. Raptors fans have seen flashes of brilliance from him in his first two seasons in the league. But can there be more? Esfandiar Baraheni breaks it down.

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