Gradey Dick Shows Why Raptors Should be Excited But Mishaps in 4th Prove Costly

The Toronto Raptors finally saw an impressive game from Gradey Dick but missed shots and a crucial turnover costly in a loss to the Detroit Pistons

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

It hadn’t exactly been the awe-inspiring start to Summer League for Gradey Dick and the Toronto Raptors.

The No. 13 pick struggled in his first showing and looked just OK in his second outing over the weekend. Frankly, the start of Wednesday’s 94-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons wasn’t all that pretty either. Dick had his first shot of the game blocked when he forced up a jumper and committed a pair of turnovers in the opening minutes.

But then it clicked.

Toronto drafted Dick for his shooting and within the span of four minutes second quarter, the 19-year-old showed exactly why Raptors fans should be excited. The 6-foot-8 rookie curled around a pair of screens for a mid-range floater. He followed it up moments later with a picture-perfect three-pointer from above the break and then nailed another three after using a handoff screen from Moses Brown. By the time he found Mouhamadou Gueye for a dunk, having taken the ball up in transition end-to-end, Toronto had erased a double-digit Pistons lead and found itself staked to a 10-point lead of its own.

Dick had 11 of his game-high 22 points in the third quarter. He connected on two three-pointers but showed Wednesday he can do a little bit of everything on the court too. It was nearly the perfect bounce-back performance, but four missed three-pointers including a wide-open attempt and a crucial turnover in the final seconds marred an otherwise stellar night for Dick.

The Kansas product was once again around the ball all evening. He clanked a three-pointer off the back of the rim in the first quarter but nailed a spinning floater after Toronto collected the offensive board. Even after throwing an errant pass in the early minutes, Dick stayed poise, turning an offensive rebound into an easy layup for RJ Nembhard.

Dick’s buckets came in every kind. His release looked lightning quick and smooth. He connected off-the-dribble, on the drive, as an off-ball shooter, and even flipped in a sky-hook late in the third.

He'll be inconsistent this season because he's a rookie and a shooter, but Wednesday showed what Dick can be when it's all clicking, and that offensive creativity is certainly something Toronto could use even if the game didn't end the way the Raptors would have hoped.

Odds and Sods

• Gueye has been a pleasant surprise for Toronto so far in Summer League. He's not on any sort of training camp deal right now but it's possible the Raptors offer him an Exhibit 10 or two-way deal for the season. He's 6-foot-9 and would offer Toronto another versatile kind of forward but it'll be tough to crack the roster with so many other like-sized players.
• Markquis Nowell had another quiet game, just 2-for-13 from the field with nine points. His lack of size is really a problem when it comes to scoring but he did collect six assists including an impressive behind-the-back find of Moses Brown in transition.
• Ron Harper Jr. has struggled for most of Summer League so far but he did throw down a massive dunk in the fourth. He'll probably get invited to training camp this year but it's no sure thing that he's back with the team next season.

OH MY 😲 @__RHJR pic.twitter.com/oYVVcxGmrH

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2023

Up Next: Brooklyn Nets

The Raptors will play their final scheduled Summer League game on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET against the Brooklyn Nets.