Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo put together a [2023 NBA mock draft: Best fit vs. best available for the first round](https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/37796305/2023-nba-mock-draft-best-fit-vs-best-available-first-round) on ESPN+ and stated this about Gradey Dick:
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>From a long-term view, it’s hard to find a better all-around talent than Dick at this spot, especially considering the importance NBA teams place on size, shooting versatility, feel for the game, confidence and intensity — all of which Dick possesses. **More than just a shooter, Dick’s ability to attack closeouts, hold his own defensively and never shy away from the moment gives him a high floor and significant upside**.
The bolded sentence has me confused because defensive prowess is not something highly associated with him. The highest praise I’ve seen is “adequate.”
Thoughts?
by P1mongoose
6 Comments
I was pretty unimpressed the one game I saw him play. He made zero impact on the game.
Getting a starting caliber shooter at pick 10 is indeed good value, not just for us due to fit and need.
His defense is terrible .
I really have no gauge on this guy defensively. Every report seems to counter another; Some reports describe him as a hard-nosed effort defender, some say he’ll be targeted and a liability, while others say he’ll merely manage. The film I saw seemed pretty average, with moments of intensity (think Luka when he’s engaged on that side of the ball).
So I dunno. A Dick pic at 10 wouldn’t be my first, second, or third choice, given that we desperately need defense and rebounding above other things.
The on-ball defense isn’t there
My guess is this is him defending his off-ball defense, which is pretty high level. It’s rare to see him miss a rotation, he plays hard on defense which will save him a few times, and he has a really strong nose for loose balls which helps him as a rebounder (which is still ultimately kinda defense to close out possessions). For a team that rotated so poorly last year, Dick would actually help in that regard
Dallas’s new FO wants to move away from shooting and more towards physicality and athleticism (defense and rebounding) so on the surface, Dick doesn’t make a lot of sense because he’s a pick the old guard would have made because of his shooting ability. However it’s not mentioned often that he does have a good frame on him that’ll allow him to pack on the muscle and he can be coached into a nice 3-and-D wing who could also get some rebounds at 6-8