The Raptors will need players to step up as the season progresses, especially when they get into the playoffs.
The Toronto Raptors fell 121-117 Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers in Scotiabank Arena. In a game without two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, 11-time All-Star James Harden took over for the Clippers, scoring 16 of 31 points in the fourth quarter and overtime and accounting for eight of the 12 LA points in overtime.
Toronto was far from healthy in this contest, missing RJ Barrett (ankle), Jakob Poeltl (back), Immanuel Quickley (back), and Jamison Battle (ankle). In their absences, Jamal Shead and Gradey Dick received a majority of the backcourt minutes, and they surely took advantage; Shead contributed 15 points and a new career-high 13 assists, while Dick added 15 points and three three-pointers, his most threes in a game since Nov. 8.
Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Post-game, Dick was asked if “doing the little things” has helped relieve his mind of his recent shooting woes.
“I think it gives me a different perspective of not trying to be one-dimensional and not trying to come in as a player and thinking I can only do one thing,” said Dick. “Every year, some guys are going to go through slumps and stuff like that … when I really focus on other aspects of the game, I think that’s what has taught me to get through that, and I’m not putting stress on any shots. As a shooter, you have to have a short-term memory, and I feel like I’ve kept that even with maybe missing some here and there … I don’t really think about a miss really ever. So, I feel like when I do that, focus on the defensive end, it makes it that much easier.”
It has been a bit of a struggle for the third-year guard this season, and understandably so. In his second season, Dick started every game he played in and averaged over 29 minutes a game. Averaging 14.4 points per game, the former Kansas Jayhawk looked to be on track to become a 20 or more point per game player. Then the Raptors traded for one-time All-Star Brandon Ingram, a wing who hasn’t seen under 20 points per game in a season since 2019, when he was teammates with the NBA’s All-Time Leading Scorer, LeBron James.
How Has Ingram Affected Dick's Playing?
With the addition of Ingram and the increased stardom of one-time All-Star Scottie Barnes, Dick’s minutes have been relinquished, and he has yet to start a game this season. This can be a real shot to the confidence of a young former lottery pick, and it has shown in his recent shooting. In Dick’s limited shot attempts, he shot just 2-15 from three-point range over his last five games before Friday night.
Dick has continued to receive more minutes while Barrett sits out due to injury, which he has done quite a bit this season. The former No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has played in just 23 of the Raptors’ 43 games this season; however, in his last 18 games, Toronto’s record is 15-3. While his injury woes may be detrimental to the Raptors’ success, his and Quickley’s names have come up frequently in trade talks yet again. With the trade deadline approaching on Feb. 5, it would be hard to imagine Barrett is traded after seeing Toronto’s immense success when he is active.