Gradey Dick Sets Career High & Other Takeaways From Raptors Loss to Bucks

The Toronto Raptors saw Gradey Dick explode for another career high in scoring but it wasn't enough to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night

Nov 12, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) drives for the basket between Milwaukee Bucks guards Ryan Rollins (13) and Andre Jackson Jr. (44) during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Milwaukee Bucks 99, Toronto Raptors 85

Gradey Steps Up

Gradey Dick is playing like a man.

The 20-year-old sophomore is no longer the 16-year-old boy the Raptors joked he looked like last season. That's not to say he looks so remarkably different physically, but the way he's playing is night and day compared to last season.

For one, he stood in against Giannis Antetokounmpo who drove with a full head of steam right into Dick who drew the charge in the first quarter. It was the kind of play that showed Dick's improved defensive positioning and the toughness he's playing with this season.

On the other end, Dick was phenomenal, dropping a career-high 32 points in 38 minutes. He took advantage of the Bucks trying to run him off the three-point line and used that extra attention to draw fouls near the hoop. In the first half alone, Dick went to the line for 14 attempts, cashing in 12 from the charity stripe. He had 22 of Toronto's 43 points before the break, carrying Toronto's otherwise sluggish offense to competence.

Dick's development this season has been the biggest reason for optimism this year. He crossed over Andre Jackson Jr. before nailing a fadeaway jumper on the right baseline and later stepped into a 25-foot three-pointer without hesitation. When the Raptors get healthy this season — if the Raptors get healthy this season — Dick's emergence as a floor-spacer who can contort opposing defense is going to help Toronto's offense a ton.

Barrett Forcing It

RJ Barrett is going through it again.

The 24-year-old has always been a bit of a streaky player and it seems like he's just forcing shots a little more than he needs to right now. Part of that is the growth in his role with Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes out and the fact that Barrett is Toronto's top offensive creator right now. That said, Tuesday wasn't pretty for Barrett who repeatedly had his shot attempts snuffed out by Brook Lopez near the hoop.

Considering how depleted Toronto's roster is these days, the Raptors can't afford Barrett to be as ineffective as he's been over the past couple of games. He finished Tuesday's game with seven points on 3-for-14 shooting.

Injuries, Injuries, Injuries

Immanuel Quickley is going to miss at least a week with a partial tear in his left UCL and it sounds like it could be quite a bit longer than that. It's the latest in a slew of injuries that have left the Raptors depleted and at times uncompetitive. Toronto has done a pretty good job of hanging in these games, but it's hard to see the Raptors righting this ship until the reinforcements return in the next few weeks.

NBA Cup Begins

Tuesday marked the start of this year's NBA Cup action and it's probably safe to say the Raptors won't be in the mix this year. The lopsided loss leaves the Raptors at 0-1 in the group stage with a -14 point differential.

One more thing: The brightly colored courts make these games hard to watch. I was not a fan of the bright blue court for the Bucks.

Up Next: Detroit Pistons

The Raptors will have a couple days off to regroup after their five-game road trip before tipping off Friday against the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET.