Gradey Dick has broken out and looks like he may be a future star. Samson Folk breaks down what play the Raptors run for him to try and score every time.
In Dick, the Raptors have a truly unique offensive weapon who doesn’t need the ball to score, and needs less than 1.2 seconds to fire off a 3-pointer. Not only is he the NBA’s leader in off-ball screens used (177), but he’s one of the best high volume closeout attackers, ranking 7th in points per chance. All of this is, of course, done under the framework of Darko Rajakovic’s offense that puts great importance on player movement, quick decision making, and a whole lot of passing. Dick is a lynchpin of how this offense works because of his spacing, gravity, and quick decision making.
The number one way that the Raptors try to weaponize Dick’s skills is through a pet play of theirs called “Spain Leak”. There’s a lot of other ways that Dick finds his usage, but as far as I can tell, this one is the most effective so far this season. In past seasons the Raptors have used Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., and Immanuel Quickley as the back screener in Spain actions to varying degrees of effect. So far, Dick is making his case as the best player the Raptors have had in this playtype in a long time, and it’s become a staple of their crunch time offense as a result.
Make sure to tune into the video to learn all about how Dick is coming along as a screener, how many different ways Rajakovic uses him in those scenarios, and why “Spain Leak” works so well for #1 in Toronto. Hope you enjoy the video, this was a lot of work.
Have a blessed day.
