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Gradey Dick’s Performance Against Thunder Potential For Confidence Builder

Originally posted on Raptors Nation | By Matthew Valento | Last updated 3/23/24

Due to the surplus of injuries on the Toronto Raptors, Gradey Dick is someone who will see increased playing time.

Dick experienced an up and down rookie season, that featured some time in the G League. He struggled to adjust to the NBA level, particularly with his shooting splits.

With Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl out for the season, possibly even Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett as they attend to personal issues, Dick has seen an uptick in minutes.

Currently averaging 30 minutes in March, the former Kansas Jayhawk is able to gain some confidence as the Raptors have nothing to lose. That was on display Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In 33 minutes, Dick had 21 points and five rebounds on 8-for-15 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range. Which is one point shy of his career-high:

YEAHHHHHHHHHHH @gradey_dick pic.twitter.com/T487nKL5nR

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 22, 2024

It is reassuring to see Dick be able to create his own shots and get downhill. Being able to be more than a spot-up shooter will be instrumental in his development as a player:

.@gradey_dick with the left pic.twitter.com/Ir8gYXKlKU

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 22, 2024

The 20-year-old was even able to throw down a thunderous dunk, which made for a nice highlight in a 20-point blowout:

pic.twitter.com/crZHmSpjoG

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 23, 2024

As the regular season winds down, Dick needs to continue to stack up these kinds of performances.

This month, Dick is averaging 10.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists on 38.3 percent from the field and 33.9% from three. The shooting numbers need to go up, but he is getting his attempts up, which is important.

Hopefully, this carries over into next season when the Raptors are back at full strength. If Dick is able to become a reliable shooter off the bench, he will become a valuable asset in this rebuild.

Gradey Dick explains why he swapped jerseys with Anthony Black

The Raptors rookie also curated a viral moment with fellow rookie Anthony Black on the Orlando Magic. Both of them performed a jersey swap, creating a hilarious moment on social media.

Dick explained why he swapped jerseys with Black as the picture of the two garnered a ton of views.

This article first appeared on Raptors Nation and was syndicated with permission.

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