Gradey Dick Shows Improvement But Raptors Turn in Clunker in 2nd Summer League Outing

The Toronto Raptors couldn't get much going against the Cleveland Cavaliers but Gradey Dick showed improvement in his second Summer League game

Kelsey Kremer/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

Summer League Game 2 for the Toronto Raptors was about as ugly as the 2022-23 season. Fortunately, though, this one, a 99-76 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, didn’t count.

Here’s what you need to know:

Gradey Dick Shows Improvement

It wasn’t a perfect game from Toronto’s first-round pick Gradey Dick, but it was a step in the right direction for the 19-year-old sharpshooter. The Cavaliers ran him off the line and were aggressive in their closeouts, forcing him to step inside for mid-range jumpers most of the afternoon.

After a 0-for-2 start, he settled in, dribbling around a screen for a mid-range bucket, and followed it up moments later with an off-balanced spin-move floater that spun around the rim before falling.

His shooting stroke looked fine, just 5-for-13 from the field Sunday, but he grabbed eight rebounds, including following up his own short jumper and nailing a put-back floater. He added two assists and could have been credited for another one with a stellar pass off the dribble to find Mouhamadou Gueye who was fouled going up for a dunk.

Markquis Nowell Struggles in 2nd Outing

Nowell’s passing continued to look impressive Sunday afternoon despite his lackluster box score stats. A pair of missed threes from Ron Harper Jr. and Joe Wieskamp cost him two more assists in the first half as Toronto shot 3-for-18 from behind the arc heading into the break.

It was Nowell’s lack of scoring, though, that was the most alarming. His lack of size at just 5-foot-8 meant two of his layups were smothered at the rim and when his shot wasn’t falling, it was tough for him to make an impact.

Nowell broke through with the first bucket of the second half, a mid-range catch-and-shoot look. He pulled the Raptors to within 11 with a bounce pass in transition to find Gueye for a slam dunk. He nearly whittled Cleveland's 21-point lead down to 10 with another stellar pass to David Johnson for a wide-open three, but the former second-round pick couldn't covert and the Cavaliers never looked back.

The 23-year-old finished the afternoon 2-for-11 with four assists and four turnovers.

Odds and Sods

• The Raptors didn’t have much else going for them Sunday, connecting on just 5-for-31 from three-point range.

• Moses Brown played just over 10 minutes after an impressive showing in his first outing. No word on why the minutes limit but it’s possible Toronto wants to sign him without overexposing him to other interested teams.

Up Next: Detroit Pistons

The Raptors will have a couple of days off before playing their third Summer League game Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET.