The Toronto Raptors have selected guard Gradey Dick with the 13th pick in NBA Draft.
Donning an astoundingly bright red suit, tattered with glitter and as much flair as you can ask for, Dick came to the draft wearing the colours of the team that would eventually take him.
The six-foot-six guard from Wichita, Kansas made it clear that he doesn’t lack confidence like the Lion from The Wizard of Oz, knocking down shot after shot in his one year with the Kansas Jayhawks.
He averaged 14.1 points a game while shooting 40.3 per cent from long range on 5.7 attempts per game.
That shooting is a much-needed asset for the Raptors, who finished last season as the third-worst three-point shooting team in the league, knocking down only 33.5 per cent of their looks from deep.
“It’s a dream come true,” Dick said in an interview with ESPN after the selection was announced. “It’s a perfect place for me to be at.”
Dick’s shooting mechanics are top-notch and he is a strong shooter off the catch, knocking down 37 per cent of his shots from those looks. Whether it was in transition, off the dribble, or off a handoff, he was exceptionally gifted at getting the ball in the hoop.
Dick is more than just a shooter though. He excelled in a ball-movement-heavy Jayhawks offence, showcasing strong playmaking chops after attacking closeouts and on drives. He’s also not scared of getting physical and has nice touch when finishing at the rim.
Though his offence is what the Raptors were looking for, he’ll need to work on his defence at the next level. He doesn’t have the strength to bang bodies down low or the lateral quickness to move with some of the quicker guards, but he’ll be joining a Raptors team building around strong help defence and switching.
Raptors assistant GM Dan Tolzman said that they don’t draft based on their current roster situation and instead choose to always go with the best player available. However, in this case, the Raptors may have gotten both, with Dick addressing the biggest team need while also being one of the highest-rated prospects left on the board.
