Raptors Rookie Among Players Recognized For Impressive Month
What a turnaround it’s been for Gradey Dick.
It was just a few months ago that the Toronto Raptors rookie first-round pick was struggling in the G League, unable to find his footing from three-point range at essentially any level. He looked completely overmatched and that three-point stroke everyone was so confident in looked anything but NBA-ready.
But suddenly everything has changed.
Dick has thrust himself into the upper echelon of rookies this year and received a nomination for the Eastern Conference’s Rookie of the Month award for the first time this season, the league announced Monday.
The 20-year-old was fantastic in February, averaging 11 points on 55.4% shooting with a 49% three-point stroke, the second-best rate of anyone who attempted at least 45 three-pointers in the month.
For the season, Dick is now shooting 38.7% from three-point range, an incredible turnaround after he’d put up a 25% mark through his first 19 games of the season.
The start of the season will likely remove Dick from the conversation for All-Rookie teams this year, but it’s clear the Kansas product has a future in the league. He’s a crafty off-ball player who has shown he can provide more than just outside shooting too. Inside the arc, he’s comfortable taking mid-range jumpers and finishing at the hoop through contact.
Brandon Miller took home the award for the East in February while Victor Wembanayama, the heavy favorite for the league’s Rookie of the Year honors, won Rookie of the Month for the Eastern Conference.
