Raptors' Darko Rajakovic Explains Gradey Dick's Struggles

Toronto Raptors shooting guard Gradey Dick is in his third season with the team and he is struggling to get into his groove like he was able to in his first two seasons.

Dick is averaging a career-low 6.3 points per game with the Raptors this season and he's shooting a career-low 30.8 per cent from beyond the arc. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic explained why Dick has been struggling so far this year.

“Obviously, what he experienced in the first two years in the NBA is pretty different than what he's going through this season,” Rajakovic said of Dick via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

"He's in the process of learning how to be a professional, how to embrace that role, how to learn to play that role. And he had games where he did very well and he had games that, you know, did not do great. So he has to live with the process. I still believe in him, we still believe in him, and we look at this as a long-term process with him, not just something that's game-to-game.”

Gradey Dick in Different Role With Raptors This Season

Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick controls the ball against the Detroit Pistons. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The addition of Brandon Ingram to the lineup has really eclipsed Dick's role with the team. That's arguably the biggest reason behind Dick's decline. His minutes have been down and the Raptors haven't afforded him the same opportunities they did in the last two years.

The Raptors weren't in contention for the playoffs before Ingram arrived. Now that they are a team to watch for the playoffs, Ingram is taking those minutes that used to belong to Dick. The third-year guard hasn't necessarily done anything wrong, but this is how life in the NBA works sometimes.

It likely means the Raptors won't have Dick in Toronto when his contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 campaign, but the team might look towards figuring out how to trade him in the offseason.

It's a long-term process with Dick, and things could change, but it's becoming clear that there are other people on the roster that simply better fit his role.

Dick and the Raptors will travel to D.C. to take on the Washington Wizards for a quick one-game road trip. Tip-off is scheduled for tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET inside the Capital One Arena. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.