NBA Draft 2023: Takaways from top prospects from Champions Classic games

Kansas

Gradey Dick – Kansas – Wing – 6’8, 205 lbs – November 2003

I didn’t love Dick from my in-person viewing last January, but he grew on me a bit to start the college season. He’s got a pretty standard two-motion shot, releasing from the top of his head, but puts good arc and rotation on it. He has versatility in that regard, not afraid to pull-up from one dribble or shoot off the move. He’s likely not ever going to be an isolation scorer, but I’d like to see him get to the rim a bit more. When he does, he’s actually a very nifty finisher. He contorts his body to maneuver around bigs and has some vertical pop.

I’d like to see him do more than just score. He had two impressive stretches in that regard, but kind of faded out of the offense at other times. I don’t buy he’s 6’8 at all, but it might not matter with his release point. He should end up being a very good scorer and has some three-level upside.

The defense was underwhelming as Duke seemed to target him in some actions and he had trouble keeping up. The lateral foot speed and spatial awareness need to improve so he’s not religiously picked on at the next level.

I didn’t initially include Dick in my top 30, largely given that Kansas is not a school that is going to push someone out if they are not ready. They have been historically good at developing guys over multiple years at college. But Dick is the best freshman prospect they have had in quite some time and if he keeps scoring efficiently and becomes a truly elite shooter, he may wind up as a first-rounder.