Gradey Dick named to NBA Rising Stars Sophomore team
Gradey Dick has pumped, driven, and acrobatically finished his way into the NBA Rising Stars game.
The league announced the rosters for the rookie and sophomore teams on Tuesday, with Dick making his first appearance in the contest along with Canadians Zach Edey and Leonard Miller.
While there have been ups and downs – specifically as of late – Dick has undoubtably taken a leap in second season. One play in particular has worked wonders for him and the Raptors.
He is averaging 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, up from the 8.5, 2.2, 1.1 stat line Dick posted during his rookie season. His true shooting percentage is only up slightly – from 54.6 to 54.9 – but it is important to consider that the sophomore wing has had a much more difficult shot diet this season.
Dick’s corner 3-point frequency is nearly half of what it was last season, dropping from 21 percent to 13. Last season he was the second most efficient corner 3-point shooter among all rookies at 46.8 percent. This season a lot of that volume has shifted above the break. His mid-range frequency has also increased despite the league-wide frequency dropping by more than a full percentage point since last season.
The 21-year-old came into the league with a reputation for being one of the best shooters in all of college basketball.
However, in 2024-25 Dick has proven that he’s more than just a shooter. Earlier this season there was an argument to be made that he is the best driver in his draft class.
While Dicks production has tailed off as the season has progressed, this is understandable. He started the season among the league leaders in distance travelled per game and has also just played more basketball than ever before in his career. Dick has nearly caught up to his minutes total from his rookie year through just over half a season.
While the Kansas native won’t be participating in the dunk contest, he has been rising up for plenty of slams lately. Five of Dick’s 13 dunks on the season have come in the last four games, including this doozy:
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