How to Guard Gradey Dick
Gradey does most of his damage from three-point (48.4% of his attempts) and is a limited outside shooter you can sag off. The plan below is built from where he actually shoots this season.
Where Gradey scores
Share of his 2025-26 field-goal attempts by zone, with how efficiently he finishes each. This is the map the game plan is built on.
The scouting report: how to defend Gradey
Wall off the paint early
Gradey takes 27.3% of his shots at the rim and finishes 68.6% there. Build the wall before he turns the corner and force the ball back out rather than meeting him at the cup.
Go under screens, sag into the paint
He is a lower-volume or below-average outside shooter (30.1% on 186 attempts). You can go under ball screens and sink into the paint to take away the drive and dare him to settle for the jumper.
Quiet edges on Gradey
- Barely affected by tight contests — 40.0% contested vs 33.1% open. Contest quality matters more than contest frequency.
- Highly volatile scorer — std dev of 4.2 PPG (coefficient of variation 0.88). Some nights 35, some nights 12. Game plan should account for both versions.
Get Gradey's full matchup plan
HoopBrief turns this shot profile into a complete plan: the exact coverage to run, positioning, what to take away first, and the mistake to avoid, in your own coaching lens. Ask it directly.
Frequently asked questions
How do you guard Gradey Dick?
Wall off the paint early: Gradey takes 27.3% of his shots at the rim and finishes 68.6% there. Build the wall before he turns the corner and force the ball back out rather than meeting him at the cup. Go under screens, sag into the paint: He is a lower-volume or below-average outside shooter (30.1% on 186 attempts). You can go under ball screens and sink into the paint to take away the drive and dare him to settle for the jumper.
What is Gradey Dick's biggest weakness on offense?
Relative to the rest of his shot diet, Gradey is least efficient on his in the paint (floaters) attempts (29.2% on 48 shots this season). Steering him toward that shot, rather than the ones he makes at a high rate, is the statistical edge.
Is Gradey Dick a good three-point shooter?
Gradey has taken 186 three-pointers this season and made 56 of them (30.1%). That share of his offense (48.4% of his attempts) is what decides whether you chase him over screens or sag under them.
How many points per game does Gradey Dick average?
Gradey is averaging 6 points per game this season, along with 0.7 assists and 1.9 rebounds. Scoring volume is why he draws the defensive game plan on this page.
How to guard other players
Shot-profile and box-score figures reflect Gradey Dick's 2025-26 season. Defensive recommendations are generated from that shot distribution and are teaching guidance, not a guarantee of outcome.