A top 20 recruit in 2022, Gradey Dick has a claim to being the best shooter in the draft with an elite feel for the game. A freshman that made All-Big 12 and All-Freshman team, Dick met and exceeded the high expectations placed on him as a top recruit. As a freshman, Gradey Dick averaged 14.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.3 BPG, and 1.3 TOPG on shooting splits of 44.2/40.3/85.4. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Gradey Dick
Height/Weight: 6’7205
Wingspan/ standing reach: 6’9/8’5
Hand size: 9
Position: Wing
Pre-Draft team: Kansas
Tools: Shooting, size, feel for the game
Pros:
- Beautiful shooting stroke
- Strong feel for the game
- Good motor
- Follows his shot often
- Good rebounder
- Good shooter on the move
- Times contests well defensively
Cons:
- Mediocre athlete in the half-court
- Limited on-ball defender
- Must continue adding strength
- Doesn’t get to the line a lot
Summary:
Gradey Dick is an extremely intelligent player with an elite role as a spot-up shooter with ideal size for a wing. While he is not much of a creator for himself with defensive limitations, Gradey is a coach’s dream offensively as an off-ball threat in a league where teams can never have enough shooting. Knowing that he will rarely force turnovers, he won’t get tunnel vision, and he won’t give up on plays while knowing where to be at the right time, Dick should be getting meaningful minutes for a good team early on in his career.
As he continues to develop as a shooter, if he can develop a strong floater to go along with his outstanding shooting touch, he will become a threat against closeouts. Another area he can still improve to unlock shooting upside is corner shooting, as the shot chart shows inefficiencies in the generally most efficient three point zone.
One thing about Gradey Dick that people overlook is his athleticism. While he is limited in the half-court, he should measure well athletically at the Combine in terms of vertical jump (see the videos section below). As Gradey gets into the NBA and works with coaching staffs, it is a reasonable expectation for him to continue developing as an athlete as he fills out his great frame.
Similar to: Terrence Ross, Doug McDermott, best of Duncan Robinson
Projected draft range: 7-13
Expected role: Mistake-free shooter as a connector piece.
Unplayable if: Highly unlikely unless the shot is off any given night. Even then, he becomes a negative more than unplayable at his worst.
Exceeds expectations if: He becomes a passable defender that won’t be targeted defensively/can survive isolation against great offensive players, and if he learns to dribble more comfortably in traffic to create his own shot. Additionally, his game takes a jump if he can develop a reliable runner after getting defenders off the ground/attacking closeouts.
Videos:
Shot chart:
