Gradey Dick is ready to earn a starter’s role on Raptors Achi-News

Gradey Dick is willing to do whatever the Toronto Raptors need.

Dick saw big minutes for a rookie last season as the Raptors were ravaged by injuries throughout March and April. Entering his sophomore NBA campaign, Dick isn’t looking to lobby head coach Darko Rajakovic or anyone else for a starting role — he wants to earn his spot.

“I’m going to try my best to be in the position that the team needs,” Dick said before Raptors training camp began. “I’m not the one pushing my agenda. That’s the role I really need to fill and if that calls for the starting spot, then I’m going to put my all into that.

“In fact, the main goal this whole season is to win. Winning solves a lot. We play well or badly, if you win, a lot of things are forgotten.”

Toronto selected Dick 13th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft after one year with the Kansas Jayhawks. He played the swingman behind Gary Trent Jr. in the Raptors depth chart when shooting to start the 2023-24 season.

Rajakovic used Dick sparingly through October, November and December. He also spent stints with Raptors 905, Toronto’s G-League team, as he got used to the rigors of the NBA schedule.

The Raptors did not re-sign Trent when his contract expired in the off-season, opening the door for Dick to be the starter. Dick said there is a lot less stress now that he has gone through one season as a professional basketball player.

“It’s a different feeling to have a season under your belt, not having to worry about going to different places when we first got to camp, and being late and all that stress of being a rookie,” he said.

Dick’s season was split in two by a conditioning period in late December and early January where he added some muscle and improved his cardio. The 20-year-old continued that fitness program through the off-season.

“I always want to push and get better,” said Dick. “It was just being consistent, not only on the court, but in the weight room, nutrition, all those things that really allow me to be where I want to be and be where I want to be when I got to the season this.”

Rajakovic noted at Raptors training camp in Montreal last week that Dick packed 15 pounds on his six-foot-seven frame during the offseason. The coach, who is also entering his second year, said he expects Dick to defend multiple positions and be more physical.

“Last year, when he walked in he could barely throw the ball and now he plays above the rim a little easier, he doesn’t shy away from contact offensively and defensively,” Rajakovic told reporters on Thursday. “I think it’s going to help his overall game, feeling more confident in his body that he can do things.”

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Dick’s minutes grew sharply in the spring as all-star forward Scottie Barnes (broken finger) and starting center Jakob Poeltl (torn ligament in finger) suffered season-ending injuries. Fellow swingman RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., also missed time in March to mourn the death of his younger brother and point guard Immanuel Quickley who took time off after the death of his uncle.

Ultimately, Dick averaged 8.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 over 21.1 minutes per game last season. Those numbers were buoyed by his performance from March 1, when he averaged 30.9 minutes per game, 12.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists over 22 games in that span.

Going into the 2024-25 season it looked like Dick might have to split time with 2024 first round draft pick Ja’Kobe Walter, veteran Bruce Brown, or even Barrett if he slipped over from small forward to play both guards.

All three of them, however, are injured.

Walter missed training camp with a sprained right shoulder, Brown had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee before training camp began, and Barrett left Sunday’s 125-98 preseason win over the Washington Wizards in the second quarter with a bruised shoulder.

“The biggest advice (senior Garrett) Temple told me was that preparation is key in an 82-game season,” Dick said before training camp began. “You never know what’s going to happen, especially with our season, we had a lot of things going on (last season).”

The Raptors visit Washington, DC, for their second preseason game on Friday.

This report was first published by The Canadian Press on October 7, 2024.

& copy 2024 The Canadian Press