“Dick ain’t even fully hard yet”: Hilarious puns erupt from fans after Gradey Dick's resurgence post special developmental program

Gradey Dick, the 13th pick in the 2023 NBA draft, had played just 19 games for the Toronto Raptors this season before finding himself out of the team's rotation. While there was plenty of hype surrounding the young standout coming into the league, he wound up falling out of the rotation amid some struggles. While fans expressed concern, coach Darko Rajakovic had a plan.

January, Coach Rajakovic indicated that Gradey Dick had been assigned to the Raptors' G-League affiliate team, the 905. At the time, he was quoted by USA Today as saying that the 13th pick was going through a special program of strength and conditioning.

While many were unsure as to what this would mean, or how it would impact his production, he has since returned to the Raptors in a big way. This month, he logged back-to-back 18-point games after the All-Star break, and also recorded a season-high 22 points.

With his play seemingly rounding a corner, and the Raptors on a three-game win streak, the reception around Dick's "special program" has been well received. Fans were quick to react to his 53/45/85 split over the last ten games that has seen him average 11ppg.

After a horrible start to the season, Gradey Dick is now averaging 11 PPG on 53/45/85 splits in his last 10 byu/doormanpowell innba

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"He is the future of this organization" - Coach Darko Rajakovic praises Gradey Dick

When Gradey Dick was drafted, there was plenty of hype surrounding him. As a five-star collegiate recruit, and a 2022 Gatorade National Player of the Year in College, many fans hoped he would be able to hit the ground running.

Despite that, through the early stretch of the season in October, he wound up averaging just 5.0 points per game through the first four games. In the month of November, he continued to struggle, averaging just 3.5 ppg on 22.2% from the floor.

While many questioned whether or not he was an NBA-level talent, coach Darko Rajakovic still had high hopes for the Kansas Alum. Back in January, after Gradey Dick had been out of the rotation for a month, coach Darko Rajakovic spoke to media members about the situation.

As he indicated at the time, although Dick was participating in a special strength and conditioning program, he still considered him to be the future of the team. He was quoted by USA Today as saying:

“We made a really good plan for him when he goes on his next assignment with the 905, and there is going to be an opportunity for him, with everything he worked on in the last two weeks, to put in a game and play.

"He is going to be back with us and is going to be in the rotation playing. He is the future of this organization, but he needs to check a couple of points before we really unleash him on the court.”

With an 11.4ppg average through the month of February, it seems as though Dick has rounded a corner.