After an uneven G League debut, Toronto Raptors rookie Gradey Dick responded with a productive second game in the Raptors 905’s loss to the Capital City Go-Go on Monday.
Dick produced 22 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot in the 123-113 loss. He once again struggled to shoot, finishing 5-of-21 from the field in 38 minutes, including 3-of-12 from 3-point range.
The 13th pick looked more comfortable on the court, resulting in some shots made from beyond the arc and in the paint. He also had defensive stands on the other end.
“He did a great job of bouncing back,” 905 coach Eric Khoury said. “He can shoot it even better than he did, both 3s and 2s. He is such a heck of a player, but (his) fight was the best part: Grabbing some pretty tough rebounds at times, getting in the mix like being more aggressive with his shot selection and creation. I thought it was great.”
Dick debuted with the 905 in a loss to the Go-Go on Sunday. He started and finished with two points, two rebounds and one assist in 33 minutes. He made one of his 12 shot attempts from the field and missed all six of his 3-point tries.
He has struggled to shoot in his two games and will likely need a game or two to adjust to playing in the G League. He looked to handle it better on Monday.
“The first time you get assigned for the G League, guys sometimes think it’s just going to be a walk in the park,” Khoury said. “They don’t realize how intense (it is). These are professionals fighting for their careers, so they’ll try to take what you have and play super aggressive. I think it took him a little while to adjust to the speed of that, and then he caught on.”
2023 NBA lottery pick Gradey Dick dropped 2️⃣2️⃣ points in his second game with the @raptors905! pic.twitter.com/O8oC0RuB1m
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) November 28, 2023
The Raptors assigned Dick to the 905 after an inconsistent start to the season. He had appeared in 15 of their 16 games but is averaging just 3.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and one assist on 27% shooting from the field. He has scored in double figures just twice.
They have been encouraged, though, by how Dick is handling himself on and off the court as a first-year player. The organization believes Dick will eventually be able to contribute nightly once the game slows for him.
He is trying to work and improve in the meantime.
“It has been a whirlwind,” Dick said. “There is a lot going on but at the same time, I go back to the advice from my family and the people in my corner of just keeping my head down and not letting the busyness get to me. At the end of the day, it is just basketball.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=1462]