In the modern NBA, shooting gets you drafted early, and shooting also gets you paid. When it comes to the draft, we’ve seen quite a few snipers hear their names called in the lottery in recent years, regardless of age. Upperclassmen like Cameron Johnson, Desmond Bane, Corey Kispert and Chris Duarte had skill sets that were deemed so valuable that teams overlooked their perceived lack of upside to draft them early. Well, the 2023 NBA Draft has a prospect that is like all of them, except he happened to make his mark in his freshman season. His name is Gradey Dick.

Dick averaged 14.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game in his lone season with the Kansas Jayhawks. He was one of the team’s best offensive players, and he played a big hand in the Jayhawks earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The year ultimately ended with a disappointing second-round loss at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks, but that’s neither here nor there. Dick balled out in his only year in college, and he did so while flashing all the tools required to be a good NBA player.

Dick’s calling card is his ability to knock down outside shots. Last season, Dick shot 40.3% from three and he did it on 5.7 attempts per game. He has some of the smoothest mechanics you’ll see for a player his age, as he sports a high release and gets his shot off very quickly. When you combine that with the fact that he’s 6-foot-8, you’re looking at a guy that has a place in the NBA for a very long time. Players that can consistently knock down triples, while also having legitimate size, don’t come around very often. He’s going to be a lethal shooting threat, whether it’s off movement or just stand-still, spot-up opportunities. But Dick should also contribute plenty elsewhere.

One of the things that makes Dick stand out is that he’s a solid athlete and is constantly looking to use that to his advantage. Dick was one of the best cutters in college basketball last season, and that’s something that should be there for him often at the next level — especially with how often defenders are going to be up on his jumper. It isn’t hard to picture Dick being extremely effective when paired with a big that can pass. The opportunities for him to score off dribble handoffs would be endless, as he could come up and get the ball, or use the threat of his jumper to go the other way and finish at the rim.

Dick also can make plays for his teammates. He likely won’t spend too much time on the ball at the next level but letting him run the offense will be available in a pinch. And Dick will always be the type of player that looks to find his teammates when he’s on the move. Dick is especially adept at spotting shooters and cutters once he’s already in the air himself, which has a lot to do with his ability to see over defenses with his size. Realistically, his ability to pass makes him a very complete offensive player. The only thing that isn’t quite there is the ability to create offense for himself, but he won’t need to because of how good he is at everything else.

Another compelling thing about Dick is that he is just a feisty competitor. Dick really wants to win games and he plays with a high motor. That has made him a guy that can occasionally impact games on the offensive glass. Dick constantly came away with timely putbacks for the Jayhawks last year, and it isn’t hard to envision that translating to the next level. He has good timing and knows when there’s an opportunity for him to turn a miss into a make, or simply get his team an extra possession.

Dick also happens to play hard on both ends of the floor. A lot of the elite shooters in the NBA don’t impact the game on the defensive end. But Dick is a very functional team defender. He is constantly in the right spots, and he has a great understanding of positional defense. Dick also has the size and quickness to defend multiple positions. Dick will never be mistaken for a guy that can lock down his man in isolation situations, but he likely will never be a net negative either. That’s absolutely crucial when thinking about his long-term potential.

It would be nice if Dick had a little more juice as an on-ball scorer, but the things that he does well are so valuable that it shouldn’t impact where he goes in the draft, or how teams value him as an asset down the road. There are plenty of players in the NBA that are borderline All-Stars because they possess the ability to change games with their three-point shooting. With that said, it’s easy to see why Dick is viewed as a consensus top-10 prospect in this draft. His ability to hit threes gives him an insanely high floor, and he could be an assassin if he lands in the right situation.